Crucifixion Outside Jerusalem. Whose Funeral Do I Officiate? The Marys at Jesus' Tomb.
Tubes Tied. Ashes to Ashes.

by the Rev. Walter Snyder

Q: What was the Jewish reason why Jesus was not crucified within the city?

A: It was more a Roman reason: They often set convicted criminals along a road near a main gate of
a city for maximum visibility, to teach would-be felons a lesson.

Q: Why do some Lutheran pastors officiate funerals of people outside their congregations and
others do not?

A: Some few might act out of narrow-mindedness but many restrict funerals just as they do other rites
of the Church to those sheep who are under their pastoral care. Normally, I will only officiate for
members of my congregation, but will look at the circumstances before making a final decision. One
thing I do is talk with their own pastor. I will not give a Christian burial to someone who did not live
as a Christian. Thus, if the person avoided his own church and pastor in life, I will not seem to
condone this in death by presiding over the funeral. I have had funerals where the deceased wasn't a
member of my church, but for whom I had been pastor prior to death, or who were former
members and whose family had ties to the church. At other times, I have had committals for former
members whose funeral services had been elsewhere and whose bodies had been returned for
burial.

Q: Why did Mary on Easter day go to see Jesus' body? The guards were there and nobody
would be allowed to see his body. Were the soldiers there at that time?

A: Actually, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James are both recorded as going to the tomb.
They went hoping that the guards or someone else would allow them to finish the preparations of
the body for proper Jewish burial. Evidently, by the time they arrived, the guards had fled at the time
of the resurrection and all they found was the open tomb. It must have been fairly close in time
between Christ's leaving the tomb and the women arriving, judging by the text of Matthew 28.

Q: Is it a sin to get your tubes tied? If so, where in the Bible did you find that?

A: Some would say it is, but they seem to be reading an awful lot into Scripture. Yes, God wants us
to "be fruitful and multiply," but He's also granted a lot of discretion and discernment. I think that
the question is not, "Should I get my tubes tied (or, for men, get a vasectomy)?" but, "Why 
do I want to do this?" If selfish motivations outweigh all else, then there could be a problem. If
you're absolutely sure that you'd not be a good parent, or if genetic tests indicate an almost certain
chance of major problems, or if your health is not good, these may be good reasons to consider
voluntary sterilization. However, if the concerns are over free time and disposable income and the
like, then I think that another evaluation is in order.

Q: When we are at the grave site, what does it mean, "ashes to ashes?"

A: I think this is just a poetic way of emphasizing our return to that from which we were created
(earth and dust are also used). At the same time, it also hearkens to the use of ashes as a sign of
repentance and of mourning in the Scriptures. I checked with some pastor friends to see if I could
find any more. They pointed out that the words are in the English rite in the Book of Common Prayer
and in various German church orders. This seems to be a threefold way of showing the
decomposition of the body after death as the result of sin and God's judgment. Perhaps the earth,
ashes, and dust are all used to indicate divine involvement, since three is the number that often
symbolizes the Triune God and His works.

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email to
askthepastor@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book
"What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2001 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced  in totality,
including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said
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