Posted on 03/15/2017 5:55:03 AM PDT by Salvation
Why did Christ die in his early thirties rather than as an older man? This would have permitted Him more time to teach and to set forth His Church. St. Thomas Aquinas answered the question in the following way:
Christ willed to suffer while yet young, for three reasons. First of all, to commend the more His love by giving up His life for us when He was in His most perfect state of life. Secondly, because it was not becoming for Him to show any decay of nature nor to be subject to disease …. Thirdly, that by dying and rising at an early age Christ might exhibit beforehand in His own person the future condition of those who rise again. Hence it is written (Ephesians 4:13), “Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ” (Summa Theologica III, 46, 9 ad 4).
Speculations such as these strike some as purely arbitrary. Others consider the reasoning to be a post hoc justification: Christ died at the age of 33, so let’s make something up to try to explain it.
St. Thomas’ reasoning, however, is not based on wild speculation. There are premises to his reasoning.
First, there is the premise that God does nothing arbitrarily and we do well to allow even seemingly minor details in Scripture (e.g., the time of day) to teach us.
Another premise is based on the nature of perfection. Perfection can be harmed by either excess or defect. Consider the case of age: A young person may lack physical and intellectual maturity (youth being a “defect” in age), but there comes a time when age becomes problematic in the other direction as time takes its toll on the body and the mind becomes less sharp (old age being an “excess” in age). Thus, there is a period of time when one’s age is in the “perfect” range: harmed neither by excess nor defect.
In St. Thomas’ time one’s thirties was considered to be that time of perfection. This is arguably still so, though we do seem to take a lot longer to reach intellectual and emotional maturity these days.
St. Thomas notes that because Jesus died while in the prime of His life, the sacrifice was greater. His apparent lack of any disease or physical imperfections also increased His sacrifice. This is a model for us. We are to give the best of what we have to God in sacrifice; not merely our cast-offs, or things of which we might say, “This will do.” The Lord once lamented, through Malachi,
If I am a Father, then where is my honor? When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts (Mal 1:8).
And thus what might seem to some to be an unremarkable detail (Jesus’ age) actually provides important teachings to the sensitive soul. Christ gave His all, His best—and He did so when He was in the prime of His life. We too are summoned to increasing perfection
Monsignor Pope Ping!
That’s old in them dayz.
His earthly ministry was concentrated in 3 years around the age of 30. That gave us the incomparable richness of the gospels. Enough there for all of us.
Thanks for posting this.
Age matters to God. If I recall the Bible states that a man dying before 52(?)years is “cut off from his life.
For me, this one is one of those, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin” questions.
Won’t disagree with your view!
I might suggest another possibility here with timing.
Since Christ is sinless, I think the theologians’ opinion that the timing also helped Christ not show the effects of age is incorrect. The typical appearance characteristics of sin (e.g. aging, dying) I don’t think apply.
Before the fall, would Adam have suffered the corruption of aging? I’m not so sure.
In my view, Christ laid a challenge down on the adversary with his ministry culminating in His transfiguration.
Imagine if Christ’s ministry had continued for 20, 50, 100 years? He kept showing mercy, performing miracles, teaching — while still looking like a mature adult. Everyone else would be aging. Who Christ is would be so evident.
The adversary was forced to respond.
That response resulted in Satan’s defeat.
God was and is in control.
My 1 1/2 cents.
What I find even more interesting is, if the apostle Paul made it clear that it was shameful for a man to have long hair, why do all artists depictions of Jesus present him with long hair?
And why are angels depicted in the bible as Male (e.g. Gabriel) at least in personality, yet most art depicts them as either women or very young children?
Romanticism and Hollywood.
I think the most realistic depiction of “angels” in any movie that I’ve seen is in Knowing. I like their interpretation of “wheels within wheels” too.
Of course, it’s not even close to actual biblical prophesy...
That question could be asked about whatever age Jesus died at.
It’s a useless question.
Might as well continue trying to figure out haw many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
Msgr Pope has some really good stuff but this isn’t one of it.
I have somewhere a commercial art illustration of Salome demanding the head of John the Baptist. John is portrayed as a 65-70 year old man.
Obviously the artist did not read the Bible.
Average life span in the Roman times was 21 years. I could not believe it till I looked it up from several sources.
Daniel nine placemarker ...
I have no problem with “the prime of life” argument.
However, my memory says that the life expectancy in that era was really low compared to today.
Consider Paul’s Jewish backround why he said about men and long hair.
Plus also Bible prophecy.
Yes. He was speaking of the culture - the culture contemporaneous with Christ and the one from which He came.
Just because you are an incurious troglodyte doesn’t mean everyone is.
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