“Seriously? What were you thinking?”
After leaving the synagogue we made our way back to Mary’s house, a table had been set up outside to accommodate everyone and lunch was about to begin when Jesus’ brothers and sister arrived. And they didn’t seem happy.
“You just show up and had to stir the pot, didn’t you?” The words came from Jude the youngest brother, but you could tell that James and Miriam were in complete agreement.
“I beg your pardon. All I did was read the scripture they asked me to read.”
“And if you had stopped there, then everything would have been fine, but no. What were you thinking? Were you even thinking? Now everyone is talking about how you claimed to be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s words.”
“Actually, I didn’t claim that at all. This isn’t the time.”
“Oh, we know what you said. We were there, remember? You said, and I quote, ‘The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!’ And now everybody in Nazareth is talking about you and your delusions.”
“Well, technically the scripture has been fulfilled. What did you want me to say?”
“Nothing, you could have said nothing and that would have worked.”
The other siblings nodded their agreement.
“You get to leave Jesus,” Miriam said. “But we’re stuck here, with all the talk. And trust me, there’ll be talk. Did you even stop to think about your mother, and what people will say?”
“Leave me out of this.” Mary interjected, “I survived the talk when your brother was born, I’m pretty sure that this will be mild compared to what was said about your father and I back then.”
From the nods you could tell it was a story everyone knew everyone except the twelve of us, we just looked uncomfortable.
“Look, my intent wasn’t to mess up your lives, when we finish our lunch, we’ll hit the road, it will be better for everyone. I should have known better; a prophet has no honor in their hometown.”
The rest of the meal was eaten in an awkward silence, nobody quite knew what to say.
When we were finished, and the table was being cleared Mary came over and spoke quietly with Jesus, after some back and forth they both nodded, and Mary headed back into the house.
“Mom’s coming with me back to Capernaum, she will stay with her cousin Naomi.”
James and Miriam were both on their feet at the same time, “That is so typical of you Jesus, thinking you have all the answers and never checking with the rest of us.” Miriam was fuming.
“Actually, you’ll need to talk to Mom about that one Sis, it was her decision not mine, and you know what it’s like when Mary makes up her mind.
A minute ago, you were all concerned about how people were going to treat Mom in Nazareth, now you’re cranky she’s not going to be in Nazareth. Make up your mind.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Well, it is that simple. She wants to move and Jude’s already living in the house, he’ll just have to learn to cook and clean.”