Commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea
Tuesday, July 31,
2012
The Lord be with you
Today, in the LC-MS, we remember Joseph of Arimathea. This
Joseph is mentioned in all four Gospels. He came from a small village called
Arimathea in the hill country of Judea. He was a
respected member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council in Jerusalem
that condemned Jesus to death. Joseph, of course, did not support or consent to
the actions of the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:51).
He was a wealthy man (Matthew 27:57) and so owned his own unused tomb in a
garden not far from the site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:60). Joseph, a
man waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went to Pontius Pilate after
the death of Jesus and asked for Jesus’ body (Mark 15:43). Along with Nicodemus,
Joseph removed the body and placed it in the tomb (John 19:38-39). Their public devotion contrasted greatly to the
fearfulness of the disciples who had abandoned Jesus.
One thing we can learn from Joseph’s story, that might not
immediately be obvious, is to read the Bible carefully. Joseph was a member of
the Sanhedrin so, while the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death, clearly not
everyone on the council was on board with Caiaphas’ plan. Also, when the New
Testament says Jesus was condemned by the Jews, we should not think of all the
Jews as supporting this decision by the leaders. Joseph was a Jew, after all.
Prayer: Merciful
God, Your servant Joseph of Arimathea prepared the body of our Lord and Savior
for burial with reverence and godly fear and laid Him in his own tomb. As we
follow the example of Joseph, grant to us, Your faithful people, that same
grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of
our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
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