April 23rd - Reflection

Holy Saturday
Matthew 27:57-66 (NRSV)
The burial of Jesus
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.


The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Reflection
This death was real. That unmentioned activities that take place, behind the scenes, of every death. The preparations and what to do with the body. This death was real and like any other death, something had to be done with the body.

It was also the sabbath. So the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. Is thinking and plotting and planning work? It seems it would be to me. But, they avoided this issue, or ignored it, and asked Pilate to have the tomb made secure. But Pilate threw the problem back at the chief priests and the Pharisees.  There is some debate over the meaning, but it could have been Temple police or Roman troops that were sent to guard the tomb. If it were Temple police it seems ironic that they would be working on the sabbath, yet even possibly guarding the "real" promise of the covenant in the body of Jesus, the Word made flesh, not just stone tablets with God's word.

During this time did the guards hear the birds singing and nature coming alive? Was there reflection on the events of the previous week going through their minds. Did they realize the "realness" of this death and ponder? Did the guards realize that they were guarding the real temple that would raise up?

It seems at times I sit by the tomb in guard. I listen to nature, and ponder the previous week on this very day every year. It never gets old that I think about and wonder how the Father feels at this time. But I always have this sense of something BIG is going on during this Saturday. Something BIG is going on that I can feel but is not quite real enough for me to fully grasp. God is working on something great.

That's the feel of today, and perhaps this life on earth. God is working in me, and in you, on something great. Something great is in the works because of what Jesus has done this past week especially. And this "something great" is our hope and our joy and our life in the here and now and in eternity.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, in the silence of earth we wait, we ponder, we feel hope, we feel joy, we feel sorrow, we grieve. We grieve our sinful actions and repent. We feel hopeful for your saving grace. We look to that something wonderful that is going on just beyond what we seem to be able to sense, and know that you are involved. We are grateful that you are our Savior. As we wait...as we listen...as we hope...as we ponder...as we pray...as we seek to follow you. --- Amen