April 3rd - Reflection

Reading
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
Joseph had a new tomb. A tomb he had hewn in the rock. Think of all the work Joseph must have done to hack this hole in the rock. The hours of swinging and chipping this rock away. The sweat he poured into the cutting blows attempting to make the rock smooth enough for a tomb. Joseph had to work at making this rock conform to the shape that would hold death.

Joseph had a new tomb. A tomb that he was willing to give over to permit the body of Jesus to lay in first. Maybe in some future time Joseph's own body would lay in this tomb also. But for now, Joseph was ready to permit Jesus to be the first occupant.

Sweat upon sweat, the sweat of Joseph to create this tomb, accepting the sweat of Jesus in his suffering and death. Sweat accepting sweat and love accepting love. Joseph, wanting to honor the body of our Lord and Savior.

But then the fear of Pilate that something would occur to make matters worse in his world. So more stone added to stone. Jesus hidden behind stone and in stone. Surely death was now imprisoned. Death was now captured and contained. No longer life but only death.

So, today we wait. We wait with death contained...we wait to see...we wait in love...we wait in hope...we wait in faith...we wait.

Prayer
Lord, as we wait...we pray...come Lord Jesus...come... Amen