<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Q: Where did Cain's wife come from? A: The Bible introduces no other source, so she must have been his sister. Divine prohibitions against incest did not begin until much later. Not only were there few choices of mates among mankind's early generations (and again at the time of Noah), it's quite possible that many genetic disorders now common in "close" marriages (brother-sister or cousin-cousin) took many generations to develop. Indeed, it may have been the Flood, with both the change in the sheltering mist cover over the earth and the opening up of the deep places of the earth, which exposed mankind to more harmful, genetically disrupting influences. These might include earthly and cosmic radiation and various chemicals released from the ruptured planet. Q: I was surprised to hear in a sermon the week after Christmas that Jesus may have been two years old when the Wise Men came. I'm very curious about this, while realizing that it is not really important when they came, but that they came. Still, I'd like to read some more on the subject. Our pastor says that there really isn't anything that actually says Jesus was two, but that some factors, when combined, indicate that this is so. Could you help shed any light on this for me? A: Biblical chronologies are sometimes easily defined; if you know when someone ruled, then you know when an event happened. At other times, the dates occur within a range of activities or overlapping governances and educated guesswork must be used. Jesus' age at the visit of the Magi (wise men) falls into the latter category. Besides knowing the ruling times of Quirinius (Cyrenius) and Herod the Great, we also have Herod asking the Magi when they first saw the star (Matthew 2:7). He based the slaughter of Bethlehem's boy-children who were two years old or younger on this account. A lot depends upon when the star appeared relative to Jesus' conception and birth: Did it come at the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Presentation (in the Temple) or at another time? Also, what was the Magi's travel time? Evidently, whatever the Wise Men told Herod was enough to convince him that Jesus might be as old as two. This also means that Joseph might have been working in Bethlehem for a couple years after Jesus' birth. On the other hand, the Wise Men may have come not long after Jesus' birth; we just don't know. Q: I realize that Judas had to show the Romans where Jesus would be at a private time, so they could take him without the crowds being aware. Also I would assume that the Romans would recognize Jesus if they saw him. So why did Judas have to kiss Jesus? A: First off, many of those who came after Jesus were of the Temple guard. Some of the higher-ranking men of the priestly caste may also have come. These would be more likely to recognize Jesus than the Romans, who were probably like most occupying troops throughout history: They wouldn't take the time to learn to tell people apart. Even among the Jews, since Jesus fulfilled the prophets' words, we wouldn't expect him to stand out in a crowd. For example, Isaiah 53:2 says, "For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." The kiss probably was used since such was a normal greeting among men. Judas likely figured that Jesus wouldn't try to run away from one who greeted him as a friend. Indeed, Jesus uses "friend" as a rebuke when speaking to the betrayer. He also gets in a dig at those arresting him, reminding them that he'd been in Temple teaching (cf. Luke 22:53 et al.). Evidently most had payed little attention to him. Q: What is the exact definition of Consubstantiation? A: This is an attempt to find a parallel to doctrine of Transubstantiation, the miraculous change by which (according to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) dogma the earthly elements of Holy Communion at their consecration become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearances of bread and wine. Some use "Consubstantiation" (the elements are all present together) as an expression of the teaching of Luther and the Lutheran Church. Normally, Lutherans speak of the Real Presence: The bread and wine remain while the very body and blood of Christ are also present through the living Word of the Lord. Consubstantiation allows for some sort of mixing or proportioning of the elements, which is counter to Lutheran teaching and unknown to Scripture, so the term is generally rejected by our church. Mixing implies the ability to somehow separate, which runs counter to Paul's expression of Sacramental Theology in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.