Some Christian Churches write and teach about Jesus’ foster father Joseph and birth mother Mary, including but not limited to His brothers and sisters and relatives that they did not believe in Him, His dual natures and mission until after His Passion and Resurrection. None of them were mentioned during his suffering and crucifixion, and none of them, except for Jesus’ mother, Mary, were at the foot of the Cross. Some say they start believing when they reportedly heard about Jesus statement: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34), as if Jesus were referring to them only. Some are armed with few instances, where Jesus seemed to marginalize His own family, to ignore them as well as to disassociate Himself from them, especially these passages from the Gospel of Matthew: “But he answered and said unto him that told him: Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? (12:47-48), and in John: “Jesus said unto her: “Woman, what have I to do with you? Mine hour is not yet come.” (2:4). Many say that the narratives of the New Testament and the people referred to Mary as the Mother of Jesus, but that Jesus never addressed or referred to His Mother as “My Mother” except with the word “woman”.

Another argument says: “had Jesus had brothers and sisters, Jesus would not have entrusted His Mother to the care of John the Beloved”: “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, He said unto his mother: “Woman, behold your son; then said He to the disciple: “behold your mother”; and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own.” John 19:26-27

There are those who arm themselves with this verse: “He that loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:37), thus clearly mix supernatural with natural, and confuse: “Love your God and fellowman” concept, as they only see inapplicable negative angry connotations and association, to which Jesus said: “If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:12.

Some cite these two verses to support their defunct claims and contentions: “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem , priest of the most high God … without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abides a priest continually.” Heb. 7:1& 3 is echoing Gen. 14:17-20.

Others suggested the possibility that Joseph might have been married before being betrothed to Virgin Mary, and these “half-brothers and sisters” of Jesus are his children from his previous marriage or marriages. Many Church fathers, chief among them, Helvidius (A.D. 380) held this belief, while others like Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus and Justin Martyr, and more prominently St. Jerome refuted this teaching, citing scriptures.