Jesus’ Disciples: A teenage posse?
How old were the disciples? In their teens? Old men with grey beards and walking staffs?
The theory of a young age of the disciples
I first heard the theory from Ray Vander Laan, one of my favorite Bible History teachers; that the twelve disciples were all under the age of 20 with the exception of Peter. Honestly, I felt a huge burden lift from my brain. I can’t tell you how often I’ve struggled with how stupid and immature I’ve believed those incorrigible twelve to be! To age them in adolescence increases their reputation, at least in my book, by leaps and bounds.
So, right off the bat, I like the idea. But, is it biblical?
The pros for a young age
I’ve listed some of the arguments Ray Vander Laan makes to support his theory as detailed on the discussion board on his website, Follow the Rabbi.
The temple tax
In Exodus 30:14-15, Jewish law states that every male over the age of 20 is to pay a half-shekel as census offering when they visit the temple of God. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus instructs Peter to “fish up” this tax. Peter finds a shekel in the mouth of the fish he catches; enough to pay the tax for two men, himself and Jesus. You could conclude that the others were underage and did not need to pay.
The use of the term “little ones”
In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus calls his disciples little children; a bit insulting if they were adults.
They were unmarried
We learn that Peter had a wife when Jesus healed his mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14-15). In those ancient times, a Jewish man receives a wife after the age of 18. Again, no other disciples’ wives are mentioned. You could deduce then, that they were unmarried, hence under the age of 18.
The education system of Israel at the time of Jesus
In Avot 5 (from the Mishnah: rabbinical commentary that was added to the Old Testament), we learn of the ancient Jewish education traditions: scripture study begins at age 5; Mishnah study at 10; Torah obligations at 13; continued rabbinical study at 15 if chosen to be tutored by a formal teacher or apprenticed to a trade; marriage at 18; formal teaching at 30.
Jewish children began intensive study at young ages, but education for most concluded by age 15. For those bright (or wealthy) enough, higher education consisted of studying under a local rabbi, and if they were distinguished, they could begin teaching at the age of 30. If they didn’t find a rabbi that accepted them as a student (much like a college entrance application), then they entered the workforce by their mid teens. The disciples, already working at their trades, must have been rejected for formal education by other rabbis when Jesus hand-picked them for further education as his disciples. In light of this, a younger age is more probable than older. A youth would be in the mindset of continuing his education. A man over 30 leaving his trade to follow a rabbi would be counter-cultural; not impossible (Jesus was definitely counter-cultural), but more likely they were younger than older.
The zeal and folly of youth
The behavior of the disciples, as detailed in the gospels, fits well with the zealous nature and foolishness of adolescence. Doesn’t it make more sense that teenagers were arguing over who would be greatest in Jesus’ reign than grown men? Picture a gang of teens instead of work-hardened men in the boat when the storm hit, fear-stricken and waking up Jesus for help. The forgetful and distracted nature of youth helps me understand how they could hear Jesus say he would die and come back to life, yet act as they did when these things happened. They were kids! They hadn’t been paying attention in class. Yet, they were quick to admit their failures, and showed they had limitlessness amount of energy in storming the country with the good news of Messiah. When I age them under twenty, I better understand Jesus’ patience with them, his low expectations of their behavior, and his teaching style. To me, who has struggled to not judge the stupidity of the actions of the “grown men” disciples, it just makes sense.
The cons for a young age
As with any teacher or author who goes on record, there are critics. Chuck May details his objections to Vander Laan’s Jewish premises in his paper, How Jewish do you have to be to understand the Bible? I don’t agree with his objections, but I thought his points against the young age of the disciples worthy of consideration.
Matthew was a tax collector.
The Bible doesn’t say Matthew was apprenticed to be a tax collector, or that his father was a tax collector, but that Matthew himself was a Roman appointed tax agent. Would the Romans have trusted a teenager with this job? I frankly don’t know, so I can’t say either way. But it may be a valid point.
Jesus gave his mother to John.
At the cross, Jesus gives the care of his mother to John. At this point, if you take the young age view, John could have been as young as 13. Would Jesus have trusted a little boy to this task? You could argue, Jesus knew John would outlive all the others so he was the most reliable! Jesus was also close to John and may have recognized he could handle this solemn responsibility. I think of the young pioneers in the early settling of the west who were entrusted to care for the family at very young ages. Age may not have mattered to Jesus, but its worth considering.
Does it really matter?
Nah. Its impossible to say one way or the other, and since the Bible doesn’t make a big deal of it, neither will I. I like the idea of a younger age for the disciples, because it appeals to my common sense. But, it doesn’t harm the gospel at all to age them traditionally in their twenties and thirties. So take your pick!
The Good Wife’s Guide
A good friend passed this on to me a few years ago and we got such a kick out of it, I thought I’d share. Notice the date at the top of the picture. Some things never change, but some things sure have! I think my husband would go bonkers with a Stepford wife like this! Here is the article.
- Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
- Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
- Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
- Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
- Over the cool months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
- Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
- Be happy to see him.
- Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
- Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topic of conversation are more important than yours.
- Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out ot dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
- Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where you husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
- Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
- Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
- Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
- Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
- Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
- A good wife always knows her place.
NOTE: I found out this is an urban legend! Stung! I’m not going to pull it down as testament to the rumors and lies we can all fall prey to.
The Perfect Man: How cool is that?
Have you considered what it must have been like to be the brother of Jesus? I hear this question bantered in children’s Sunday School lessons. The usual responses:
“It must have been tough with Jesus being right all the time.”
“Mary probably nagged, ‘Why can’t you be more like Jesus?’”
“I’m sure they hated to be compared to him.”
Okay, maybe. But I want to imagine perfection a bit different and convince you that true righteousness is attractive, not repulsive. As a perfect son and brother, Jesus would have been loved, not despised. Our misconception stems from our confusion about what righteousness truly is. As fallible people, we have limited experience with righteousness without the little word, self, preceding it. That four-letter word is ruinous.
Self-righteousness is not right at all!
There are two angles to self righteousness. It is confidence in your personal rightness. And, it is pious self assurance that others not like you are wrong. We despise a goody two shoe because the height of his personal ethics force him to look down. Putting Jesus into those shoes is ungrounded.
Jesus was righteous, not self righteous. A self righteous brother would gloat that he cleaned the bathroom without being told and scorn his siblings for forgetting their chores. A self righteous brother tattles. A self righteous brother welcomes comparisons and embraces public commendation. Is this how you envision life at home with Jesus? Please say no!
If anyone in history had reason to put confidence in his rightness, it was Jesus. Yet, we know that Jesus did not flaunt his morality. What I mean is this: Jesus was too busy living the law of God (loving God and others) to be concerned with putting on right behavior. Why is something right or wrong in the first place? Because it confirms or contradicts the personality of God, who is the standard. Jesus, who lived with God for all eternity, understood rightness intuitevely because he knew God. Righteousness is motivated by knowing God, not the desire to be good. Jesus was not confident he was right, he was confident in who he knew God to be.
To put it in terms that we can taste, Jesus always acted right because he was unique in his pure motive of love. Jesus wasn’t self-involved. He lost himself in his pursuit of others. His relationships were not about him, but about the other. There was no self in his righteousness.
Perfection is cool.
Because Jesus was righteous, he always did the right thing. This didn’t turn people off. On the contrary, it made him easy to be around. His company was a pleasure.
Have you ever been around a friend who was genuinely concerned about you? It’s enjoyable, is it not? You know they will do whatever it takes to make life easier and more enjoyable for you. They overlook your rough edges, and don’t react when you push their buttons. Do you remember your first love? Remember the thrill of having a special someone who wanted to be with you and sought out your company? A love that was interested in your interests and couldn’t get enough of you? You can’t get enough of that attention. You feel as though you could live on it instead of food and drink! Have you ever had someone cover for you? Didn’t rat you out when you messed up, or even took the blame for you? My friends, that’s the kind of brother Jesus was.
The Bible hints at Jesus’ irresistible attraction in its stories of huge crowds and loyal followers. Throw in superhuman powers and God-like charisma to the mix of easy-to-be-around righteousness, and you have an “idol” worth worshiping. The crowds, who due to the constraints of time and place, could never know him intimately. Yet they glimpsed his unique appeal and flocked in droves to be near him. What lucky people! To be near the heartbeat of God! To look into the eyes of eternal compassion! To be invited, as is the temptation of lovers, to eat and drink him up!
I’m going to confess a reoccuring night-time dream I have. It is an emotional rush of pure love. In it there is a faceless man who consumes me with his attentions. He inspires me with confidence because of his unfailing desire for me. Weird? My secret hope is that this dream is a premonition of heaven and the loving acceptance and passion I will find there in the physical presence of the man Jesus.
This is how I imagine family life with him. Otherworldy and unbelievable cool.
Stumble It!
