“Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” Mark 15:43 ESV
Reflection: why didn’t Jesus own family take down His body and bury it?
We have come to the last act in the atoning death of Jesus. The burial of His tortured and almost unrecognizable body. It is an act of selfless love, of courage and sacrifice. Of doing what was right. We learn about this man, this well known, respected council member, named Joseph of Arimathea, that he takes it upon himself to bury Jesus properly. There are so many questions that pop up when we start thinking about this. To start with, why wasn’t this done by Jesus’ own family? His mom and dad, His brothers and sisters? Extended family? I’m sure many of them were there because of the Passover. Then, what about His disciples? The ones that claimed they would evn die with Him, if it came to that? What about the rest of His followers? One of the hundreds that had received healing from Jesus, the lepers, the blind, the lame? What about Lazarus? None of them stood up for Him, even when He gave His life.
It was a council member.
So why him? It is unclear whether he was one of the members of the council that just had sentenced Jesus to death. But regardless, Joseph knew that what they had done, to this innocent man, was wrong, regardless of who he thought Jesus was. One thing about Joseph that we learn here is that he truly was “looking for the kingdom of God”. He wasn’t just saying it; he really was. Because we see it in his selfless act to follow. And, it is so interesting how Mark captured the start of this act, with saying that Joseph “took courage”. Why was this important to mention? Because this act would not only be difficult, but potentially damaging and even dangerous for Joseph. It would clearly damage his reputation as a council member, and his standing in the community. And he didn’t know how Pilate would react. Put him in prison? But he did it anyway. Joseph had nothing personally to gain from this act; it wasn’t as if Jesus could repay him, nor Jesus’ family or followers.
Joseph took Jesus body down from the cross, and put it in a new grave, one that had been chiseled out in the hillside. Interestingly, by his selfless actions, prophecies were fulfilled. And therefore, in a way, Joseph was actually being part of the kingdom of God that he was looking for. He was fulfilling the will of Father God, perhaps unknowingly. So what about Jesus family, what about His followers? Where were they in the middle of all of this? Mark mentions briefly in the end of this paragraph “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.” Mark 15:47 ESV. Only two are mentioned here by Mark, Jesus mom Mary, and Mary of Magdalene, who were perhaps watching what Joseph did from a distance. There is no indication that they even helped Joseph.
We don’t know what happened to Joseph of Arimathea after this. Did he lose his position as a council member? Was he shunned by the religious leaders, in the synagogue, an outcast of the community? Did he lose his fortune? His cost among men was probably substantial. However, his righteous, selfless act for God has been documented for all the people of the world to see, to learn about, even to this day. And, this is clearly a message, an application for each of us. Are we promoting and bringing the kingdom of God? Do we dare to speak up? Do we do what is right? Are we like Joseph, taking courage when specifically it is very difficult to do so, when no one else is standing up? Or are we like the rest, hiding in fear? Let’s take courage.
Let’s be Josephs.
