So I guess your assumption is that by mentioning the brothers of Jesus as well as the sons of Tahirih they must have done something really bad, worse than simply not believing in Jesus? I have never heard of Jesus' brothers being involved in any serious persecution of Jesus or His followers during Jesus' lifetime. According to the Gospel of John things don't seem to have been too frosty between them. John 2:12 says, "After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days." Again in John 7 Jesus is associating with His brothers. It notes that they don't believe in Him (John 7:5), but it hardly sounds like He had refused to associate with them like 'Abdu'l-Baha said. Or did that happen later? 'Abdu'l-Baha said:
"Consider this text of the New Testament: the brothers of His Holiness Christ, came to Him and they said: "These are your brothers." He answered that His brothers were those who believed in God, and refused to associate with His own brothers."
I am a little perplexed at all the times it would appear that 'Abdu'l-Baha has a poor recollection of some biblical verse or passage. "These are your brothers" isn't exactly what any of the versions say. Here is the passage from Mark, "And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, 'Your mother and your brothers and outside, asking for you.' And he replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.'" (Mark 3:31-35 RSV) The words 'Abdu'l-Baha mentions were supposedly spoken by the brothers of Jesus when they came to Him, yet the passage He refers to makes it clear that His brothers were outside, and never records them coming to Him and speaking to Him. It's seems pretty obvious from what 'Abdu'l-Baha said that at that stage Jesus refused to associate with His brothers. The feeding of the 5000 occurred after this and is mentioned in Mark 6 and John 6. After this we find Jesus with His brothers. What was He doing associating with them? Also, since the passage specifically mentions the mother of Jesus and includes her in Jesus' final statement, which 'Abdu'l-Baha acknowledges is a criticism of blood relatives, wouldn't that condemn her as a disbeliever? Everything I've seen about her in the Writings is positive.
Luke speaks of the time just after Jesus died. Referring to the apostles he says, "All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." (Acts 1:14) Were all the apostles, even Peter, such failures that they would be willing to hang with Jesus' brothers, whom Jesus refused to associate with? Or did Jesus' brothers all suddenly become believers within weeks of Jesus' death? I recall a pilgrim's note of Shoghi Effendi which I think is in the Baha'i Library in which he says that James was a Covenant-breaker, and it was clear he was talking about the time after Jesus' death.
Regards,
David
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