Of Course Jesus is Married...

          Earlier this week, CNN broke the remarkable story that a fragment of ancient Coptic Christian papyrus had been found affirming that Jesus was, in fact, married. This story would have far-reaching implications for both the Catholic and Evangelical church—priestly celibacy, gay marriage, and the role of women in leadership were all being reworked in the minds of pundits and academics (though, interestingly, not theologians) across the country upon news of the find.

            Not that this was actually news. The Gospel of Thomas (not a part of canonical scriptures but a part of the heretical Gnostic Gospels) asserted this centuries ago. In our day, Dan Brown wrote as much in The Da Vinci Code. What I find so interesting is that most people are unwilling to believe in the canonical scriptures of the Bible as true. The Bible, for an increasing number of Americans, is relegated to the historical dustbin at best, or dismissed as ancient superstition, propaganda, or an outright lie, at worst. I was struck by how many of these same people are willing to accept this ancient fragment as true despite the fact that the same information has been asserted numerous times throughout history and has never once been accepted within orthodox Christianity.

            So, a couple of my thoughts on a subject that will surely disappear as quickly as it emerged (and will surely come around again in my lifetime):

• 1    Jesus is indeed married. His bride is known as the Church. The Church is his disciple. He is the faithful husband. The Church is his beloved.
• 2    The Bible is infallible and authoritative in all that it intends to teach. We can have confidence that what the Bible tells us is true. To speculate on what the Bible doesn’t care to tell us is probably not a very good use of time. We are always interpreting Scripture and applying it to our lives, but to attempt to manipulate the Bible to say (or not say) what we want is to abuse it.

What does this mean for us? It means that we (the Church) have a husband, and his name is Jesus Christ. If this analogy makes you uncomfortable, it is perhaps time to read the story again.

            Saint Augustine tells of his conversion experience. Sitting in a courtyard, unsure of the direction of his life, the Holy Spirit prompted him, “Pick up and read! Pick up and read!” referring to the Bible. Church, it is time to pick up and read this Book. Have someone read it with you or for you. These are the words of eternal life. These are the words that draw us to the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ!

            Don’t get swept away with the “news” of the world this week, friends. Rest in the secure assurance of our only salvation, Jesus Christ, and find your place in the great story being told even now.