<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Dear friends and faithful readers, for those of you who've been following the column in the Sunday Newsboy, a change may soon be in the offing. The reason the column was not in print for the past few weeks was that the Snyder family was on vacation. However, part of this was a "working" vacation. I went back to Montana to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of my vicarage (internship) congregation in Billings on the twenty-fifth of July. Prior to that came another type of "work." I visited the Lutheran congregation in Emma, Missouri that had elected me to be their pastor. Under our polity (church government) in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, once a pastor receives documents notifying him of such a call, he must decide whether he believes that this is truly a divine call, that is, whether or not he is being led by the Holy Spirit to leave his current pastorate for a new congregation. After many prayers and much deliberation and soul-searching, I announced to Faith and St. Paul Lutheran Churches in Woodville and Jasper that I truly was convinced that this was a call I should accept and thus will remain here only for another four or so weeks. My elder daughter will begin school in the Lutheran high school in Concordia, Missouri on Monday the sixteenth. My wife and younger daughter will remain here with me until we are ready to leave, sometime after services on the twelfth of September. If the Newsboy (and its readers) would want to continue asking this pastor weekly questions, I'd be happy to continue doing so. Otherwise, only the online version of the column will appear after mid-September. Sometimes I've banged my head trying to find answers. At other times I've been frustrated trying to keep my responses short enough to fit the confines of the paper. However, these were minor inconveniences when compared with the joy of sharing God's Word, examining the habits and customs of Bible times and of Christians and non-Christians living elsewhere, and being constantly amazed by the vast variety of questions that have crossed my desk. While you are not the congregation God called me to serve directly, I am honored that he allowed me to speak of his love for you in Christ Jesus for what is now 198 Sundays over the past three-plus years. Should God will it, we will together pass the two hundred column mark in a couple weeks. For now, rather than getting maudlin, I'll move to a couple brief questions and answers. Over the next week or two, Mr. Webb can decide whether or not he wants this column to continue and you may, if you so desire, write or call the Newsboy with your own thoughts on that subject. Q: My questions concern Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. He is never mentioned during Jesus' earthly ministry. We know Mary and Jesus' brother were at the wedding in Cana and with Him throughout His ministry. Where was Joseph? I feel it must have been very difficult for him to give his earthly son away. Perhaps I just answered my own question. A: Actually, we're not sure if the "siblings" attributed to Jesus were full brothers and sisters, half-brothers by a previous marriage of Joseph, or cousins. The original language would allow any of the above. As for his stepfather, the last mention of him involves the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple, when he asks Mary and Joseph, "Do you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" Perhaps Joseph died in the intervening eighteen or so years. This would not be unlikely, since men often waited to marry until being established in business, then married younger women who could bear children and have a chance of living a bit longer. Q: In John 20, a disciple called "the other disciple" or "the disciple he loved" is mentioned. Who is this person? Also, what are the implications of this passage on our Christian faith and how can we apply it to our lives? A: The person mentioned is likely the evangelist, the Apostle John. We see a few other clues of his specially close relationship with Jesus in the pages of Scripture. For example, he's up beside Jesus at the Last Supper and Peter gets him to ask the Lord what Jesus is talking about. It would be inventing theology to make too much of what is said here, but knowing that Jesus had "favorites" such as John and the family of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus certainly indicates that there is noting wrong in choosing and enjoying our own special friends. Indeed, knowing that Jesus had special friendships with some of his followers is one more sign that he is, as the Bible indicates, not only true God but also true man. 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.