{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Reflections","title":"St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":396,"description":"October 23, 2026\n\nToday's Reading: Matthew 13:54-58\nDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 24:10-25:10; Matthew 16:13-28\n\n“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:54b-56)\n\nIn the Name + of Jesus. Amen.\n\nAfter the beloved Christmas stories and Jesus in the temple as a young boy, there are only a few places in the Gospels where we get hints at Jesus’ earthly family. This is one of them. Whether the words “brothers and sisters” here refer to Jesus’ biological half-siblings or more generally to His disciples and friends (both meanings are possible), the point is that most people thought Jesus had a “normal” family—that He had been born in the natural way. Luke 3 shows us this assumption: “Jesus, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph…”\n\nIn our passage the problem is simply being associated with Jesus, whether they’re technically related to Him or not. It’s as if Jesus’ critics are saying, “Wait a minute. We know this guy’s family! We know where he’s from! How can He possibly be doing the works of God?” Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps you’ve had to follow in an older sibling’s footsteps, for better or worse. Maybe one of your teachers remembers teaching one of your parents! (No? Just me?) It’s sort of like “guilt by association”—in this case, the fact that Jesus’ earthly family is well-known means that Jesus can’t actually be from God… or so they think. \n\nIt is an incredible thing to think about: God took on flesh and was born into an earthly family. But that doesn’t mean Jesus is “just some carpenter’s son”! No, God beheld our broken families, our sibling rivalries, our humble origins from this or that little town, and entered into it with us and for us. He became part...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/P3eUvssXYVZBQK4BZg1UEKstUh8zuVz_CoZCK6YjRSs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzI1MTcyLzE3MDI0/Mjg1MzAtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}