His beloved disciple: impossible love, possible?

Mark 1:14-28

           It's interesting how you know facts and you have read things many times but all of sudden you see something differently or the pieces seem to come together. Here we have Jesus recruiting his first disciples, two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew and James and John.  Wait, James and John? John as the 'beloved disciple', "the disciple whom Jesus loved"?

            I recall these two brothers getting into a bit of a problem when their mother asks Jesus if the 'boys' can sit at his right and left hand when they go to heaven. So their Mom was alive, John's mother was alive. Interesting tidbit except that I also note specifically that when Jesus was dying on the cross he turned to his own mother and said that she she should behold her son John. Further, Jesus tells John this Mary is to be his 'mother'. Interesting scenarios.

             This has shades of Ruth and Naomi. So often 'marriages' and committed relationships are cast by the joining of families and bonds that transcend earthly authority. We can recall the scripture passage from Ruth (1:16), Wherever you go I shall go. Wherever you live so shall I live.

Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God too. This is what Biblical love and Biblical commitment was ( and still is ).  In today's passage we see the same commitment perhaps as seen through Jesus and John. As Jesus is departing this world he affirms and commits the family together, John as son ( in-law? ) to Mary and Mary as mother ( in-law? ) to John.  I don't think I would be so bold as to say this except that it jumped out at me that John already has a mother and she is mentioned in scripture too. I may have added to the idea that Cana was a wedding feast for John and Jesus but it was more of a possibility. With this revelation to me I am thinking the evidence may be mounting.

                Before I get some hate mail, what difference does it make if Jesus was married to John? Would this diminish his message? His divinity? the value and extent of his love?  If anything it show just how human Jesus was. Jesus was just like us in every way, willingly and openly. He suffered willingly and openly too - for us. How powerful and how humbling to us.

                 If you are gay, this 'revelation' may be what helps you realize how much has been denied you in organized religion, false translations and from churches with agenda that are neither Godly or scripturally sound. 

                 Let us give thanks for the possibility of Jesus married to his 'beloved disciple'.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.