Fundamentals of the Christian Faith in the Light of the Gospels
by Maulana Sadr-ud-Din
Jesus, a Human Being and an Apostle of God: Jesus had a Human Father
This statement of the Gospel,
behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing,
proves conclusively that Jesus had both the parents, father and mother. And it was his mother’s testimony that Joseph was his father. When the mother reprimanded Jesus, he, instead of showing regret and remorse, took them to task in return, but they could not understand his words. Jesus meant to say that they were his physical parents, and that he had a Spiritual Father also, the preaching and propagation of Whose commandments was his sacred duty to perform.
“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover … as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it” (Luke, 2:41–43).
It has been repeated twice in these verses that Jesus had both father and mother, that is, he was the son of Joseph and Mary.
“And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph” (Luke, 3:23).
The words enclosed within brackets had been inserted by some copyist of the Gospel in order to preach and propagate a wrong belief. But the purpose of the interpolator could not even then be achieved, for it is clear from the original text that Jesus was the son of Joseph. Mary herself testified to it, saying, Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. The record of Matthew (1:16) also shows that the copyist is wrong in inserting words of his own into the Gospel:
“Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
It is regrettable to note that interpolations have found their way into the texts of the Gospels.