Family Values

 FAMILY VALUES

As has been pointed out, Jesus wasn't a family man.  In fact it would appear that he and his disciples wandered around the countryside living on alms.  There is no indication any of them were gainfully employed and although it appears that Jesus could feed the multitude, there is no indication that he used godlike powers to feed himself and his twelve disciples.  

Which brings us to the last supper.  One has to wonder where those victuals came from.  Since, once again, there is no indication that any of them were gainfully employed, some or all of the thirteen must have had independent sources of income; or else, how could they sustain themselves?  We have no information on this issue and it would seem to me to be relevant.  

As with all presentations, much must be left out simply for reason of brevity and irrelevance.  However, there is much to think about when it comes to means of support.  If Jesus or any of his followers had wives and children, they certainly were ignored and left to fend for themselves - - it would seem.  One can not assume otherwise; for if one does assume differently, one is simply making things up with conjectures and opinions without facts.

Consequently, one must accept the fact  that family life didn't have much attraction for Jesus and the others which brings us to the issue of "family values" being one of the foundations of our religious faith.  The family is important, the family is relevant, the family is sacrosanct - - these appear to be ideas firmly entrenched in our Christian mythology; and one can only wonder where the idea of "family values" ever came from.

It certainly didn't come from the Bible.  Family often didn't work out well.  Look at Cain and Abel, or, how about Jacob being sold by his brothers?  And then you have Noah and his daughters, but that is another story altogether.  Abraham was ready and willing to kill his kid. It just doesn't seem that the family was of much concern to those portrayed.  How would you like to have been in Soloman's family if you could have even called it a family?  Now that would have been interesting.  Does a harem constitute a family?  I think we need biblical exegesis on all these issues before we can even begin to think that the idea of family had much value  in biblical times.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo