News has it that Jesus had brothers and sisters, who were born to Joseph and Mary. Of course, people are busily debating the historicity of this allegation. Scripture seems to shows us that among his brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, together with a number of unnamed sisters.

Thinking on behalf of a brother or a sister of Jesus... what do you think it is like growing up with a brother who never sins? What was it like for Joseph and Mary to raise a bunch of children who were sinful and one other child who was perfect in all his ways? How would they have explained to their other children the circumstances of their eldest brother’s birth, or justify the reality of his conception before their marriage? Because even if they didn't bother to explain it, the children would've heard the rumours from other kids they played with outside, for their parents would've been talking about it in their homes.

I can imagine that there must've been rumours floating about town years ago when Mary conceived Jesus, saying that the young lady had become pregnant with an illegitimate child. It must've been more than a mere embarassing season in her life and that of her husband-to-be. You know, such stories don't just diminish over time... people talk. And talk. And talk.

By the sheer birth of Jesus alone, the family must have had gone through a lot to salvage a reputation that had been ruined. They had probably lived their lives hoping that memories of Jesus’ pre-marital birth wouldn’t be remembered by anyone. Both the parents and all his sibblings didn't have it easy; there was a dark story that followed them in that community. People talked about them.

To be the family of Jesus was also to live a life of humiliation, right from the time of his birth.