XXIII.
Jesus' First Residence at Capernaum.
D John II. 12.
d 12 After this he went down to Capernaum [The site
of Capernaum is generally conceded to be marked by the ruins now called
Tel-Hum. Jesus is said to have gone “down” because Cana is among
the hills, and Capernaum was by the Lake of Galilee, about six hundred feet
below sea level], he, and his mother, and
his brethren, and his disciples [There is much dispute
as to what the New Testament writers mean by the phrase the “brethren of
the Lord.” This phrase, found in any other than a Jewish book, would be
taken to mean either the full or half brothers of Jesus, and it has probably
that meaning here. The Catholic Church, contending for the perpetual virginity
of our Lord's mother, has argued that his brethren were either the sons of
Joseph by a former marriage, or that they were sons of Alphæus (also
called Clopas) and a sister of our Lord's mother, who, like her, was also
called Mary (John xix. 25). This
latter view is based upon the fact that two of the sons of Alphæus bear
the same names as those borne by two of our Lord's brethren, which is far more
conclusive, since the names James and Judas were extremely common. Moreover, we
learn from John vii. 5, that the Lord's
brethren did not believe on him, and
120harmonists place the time of
this unbelief late in our Lord's ministry, when the sons of Alphæus were
not only believers, but some of them even apostles. Our Lord's brethren are
mentioned nine times in the New Testament, and a study of these references will
give us some light. Three of them, viz.: John vii.
3, 5, 10; I. Cor. ix. 5; Gal. i. 19, are rather noncommittal. The
other six (Matt. xii. 46; xiii. 55; Mark iii. 32;
vi. 3; Luke viii. 19, 20; John ii. 12) speak of his brethren in
connection with his mother, and strongly indicate that Jesus was the first-born
son of Mary, and that she had at least four other sons, besides daughters.
These brethren of Jesus are constantly represented as attending his mother,
without a hint that they were not her children. Against this conclusion there
is but one argument which has any force; namely, that our Lord committed his
mother into the keeping of the apostle John, rather than to his brethren
(John xix. 25–27), but this
fact may be easily accounted for. Many mothers are but scantily and grudgingly
supported by their sons]; and there they abode not many days.
[Because the passover was at hand, and he went up to Jerusalem. This notice of
the brief sojourn of Jesus at Capernaum throws light on several things: 1. It
shows where Jesus spent most of his time between his baptism and the first
passover. 2. It helps to explain how the nobleman, who afterwards sought him at
Cana, became acquainted with him. 3. It prepares us to look for his first visit
to Nazareth at a later period. 4. It also explains why Jesus sought Capernaum
as his place of residence after leaving Nazareth. Moreover, it shows that the
natural ties of kindred were not immediately snapped by Christ. Until he went
up to the first passover, he abode with his mother and his brethren.]
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