| |
P.1538 - §1 After preaching the
sermon on "The Kingdom," Jesus called the six apostles together
that afternoon and began to disclose his plans for visiting the cities
around and about the Sea of Galilee. His brothers James and Jude were
very much hurt because they were not called to this conference. Up to
this time they had regarded themselves as belonging to Jesus' inner circle
of associates. But Jesus planned to have no close relatives as members
of this corps of apostolic directors of the kingdom. This failure to include
James and Jude among the chosen few, together with his apparent aloofness
from his mother ever since the experience at Cana, was the starting point
of an ever-widening gulf between Jesus and his family. This situation
continued throughout his public ministry--they very nearly rejected him--and
these differences were not fully removed until after his death and resurrection.
His mother constantly wavered between attitudes of fluctuating faith and
hope, and increasing emotions of disappointment, humiliation, and despair.
Only Ruth, the youngest, remained unswervingly loyal to her father-brother. |