I saw this Catholic meme yesterday that made me want to respond biblically to this blog post. The meme reads something like this: “If Mary had other kids, why didn’t Jesus say, ‘Mom, go stay with James’?” This is one of the most common arguments used to support the idea that Mary had no other children based on what happened at the cross. At first glance, this makes sense. But if you take a closer look, the argument really doesn’t hold up under Scripture. The Bible never says that Mary had no other children. In fact, it says the opposite quite a few times.

Let’s look at the passage in question carefully and what Jesus really said at the cross.

• John 19:26-27 “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Notice what the text does NOT say:

• It does not say that Mary had no other children
• It does not say that James did not exist
• It does not say John replaced biological sons

That argument is more of an assumption than something directly from Scripture.

The truth is, Jesus had brothers and sisters!

• Matthew 13:55-56 clearly says, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?”
• Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

The Greek word here is “adelphos,” which means brother, not cousin. The Bible actually uses a different word when it refers to a cousin (anepsios), like in Colossians 4:10.

The Bible never teaches Mary’s perpetual virginity. If Mary had no other children, these passages would be misleading or deceitful. But God is not the author of confusion.

The key point Catholics often ignore is that Jesus’ brothers did not believe Him (see John 7:5), prior to and at the time of crucifixion. Also, they were not present at the cross. So, Jesus would not place His believing mother to unbelieving relatives but to a faithful disciple which aligns perfectly with His own teaching when He said:

• Matthew 12:48-50 “But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

So, Christ put spiritual family above blood relations.

But notice later, we see Jesus’ brothers (James and Juda) were converted after the resurrection.

• Acts 1:14 says, “These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Yes, their conversion came after, not before, the crucifixion.

The meme asks: “If Mary had other kids, why didn’t Jesus say, ‘Mom, go stay with James’?”

The biblical answer is simple: Because James did not yet believe. Jesus entrusted His mother to a faithful disciple named John, not because Mary had no other children, but because faith was more important than blood.

The Bible is consistent. The meme is not.

Truth is truth!

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