Jesus' Age at Death. Justifiable Theft? Honoring Dishonorable Parents.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: How old was Jesus when he died?

A: Scholars debate the exact time of Jesus' birth, so fixing His age at death is difficult. Estimates
vary from 33 to 38, with some even going as high as forty years. The Bible is not specific, but
using the background historical record of who was in office at different times in His life leads
most to assume an age of between 30 and 35 years when He was baptized and began His ministry.
This is in line with the age of religious maturity among many of the Jews. Among them, no one
would be accepted as a rabbi before his thirtieth year.

Also in parts of Judaism, certain Scriptures were not supposed to be read by anyone younger than
thirty. These were sometimes referred to as books that required the washing of hands. Some of
the rabbis taught that their contents might lead one to ritual uncleanness or be a burden on their
faith. People might assume that the Song of Songs was one of these; many are surprised to find
that Ezekiel was also one of the proscribed books for younger Jewish readers. This was for
several reasons, including both God's Glory abruptly withdrawing from his holy city, Jerusalem,
and specific action prophecies commanded by the Lord for Ezekiel which were counter to
Levitical law.

Q: In Christian ethics, is it ever permissible to steal from your neighbor or any other
entity?

There is no clear word of Scripture that says, "In this circumstance, you may take something that
is not yours." However, there are Biblical instances where the Law is violated in order to save
life. We see in the story of Abraham that he was worried about being killed and Sarah taken from
him, so he stretched the truth and said she was his sister. God did not judge him, but King
Abimelech, who took her for himself (Genesis 20). Granted, she was Abraham's half-sister, but he
was still not fully truthful. Isaac likewise lied about Rebekah, also to a King Abimelech (Genesis
26). It's not said whether this was the same king or another of the same name.

A clearer instance is when David was fleeing from Saul. After a secret meeting with Jonathan, he
went to the high priest, told him he was on a mission for the king, and asked for bread. He ended
up with the showbread. This bread was on a special table in the Tabernacle. God commanded that
it be replaced with freshly baked bread every Sabbath day and the old loaves were to be eaten by
the priests. Instead, David used it to feed his hungry men (1 Samuel 21).

Whatever the circumstances, we shouldn't be looking for some sort of situation ethics. Lying or
taking that which belongs to God or man is not right. However, neither is allowing life to be lost.
Thus, if we ever do find ourselves with such a dilemma (and they are actually quite rare), we
should also realize that we may well have a serious sin to confess to God, not an excuse to do a
wrong we would normally avoid.

Q: How do I respond to my non-Christian brother when he asks how my mother acts the
way she does (bitter, vengeful, self-righteous) yet claims to be a Christian? Her actions are
deliberate, often directed toward my brother or me, yet she never accepts responsibility or
shows regret. Where is the line between respecting your parent as God commands, and
maintaining self-respect when this behavior toward you is as previously described?

A: First of all, no Christians are perfect. Also, not all who claim the title actually are Christians.
Her public testimony is not that of a believer; if she is, then she is certainly also buffeted by Satan
and needs your prayers. Your response should not be to justify your mother's non-Christian
words or deeds but to be a Christian yourself and to love both your mother and your brother. If
this means taking a stand against one or the other of them, make sure it is done out of love and
out of concern for their eternal well-being.

With this in mind, we consider your second question. There is no real "line"---wicked parents and
pagan governments alike receive honor from believers. If you are moved to disobey or disregard
what you are told, it's not a matter of self-respect, but of respect for God and His Word. We
work to love those "not worthy" of love, just as Christ loved and died for all sinners (you and me
included). There are times when we speak against them in rebuke or correction, but only for their
good, not for the sake of ourselves. We disobey only when we are forced to choose between
obeying them and sinning or obeying God and not sinning. Otherwise, such people are part of the
cross that many Christians must take up daily as they follow Christ.

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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,
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