The Faithful & The Vileনমুনা

Joseph of Arimathea, the Distant Admirer

Out of fear, Joseph had been following Jesus from a distance. His position on the Sanhedrin made it complicated for him to get too close. If his views on who Jesus was were made known, he’d be ridiculed, at best, or dismissed, at worst. Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God, and he was pretty sure he’d found it in Jesus of Nazareth.

He also knew the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin saw Jesus as a threat to their power. They watched Jesus like a hawk looking for any opportunity to catch him in his words or see him break one of their many rules. Every time they spoke of him, their agenda became more evident. Caiaphas, the high priest, admitted it would be “expedient” that Jesus should die for the people. 

Being a member of the Sanhedrin had once been Joseph’s greatest honor, but now it was his greatest horror. Fear kept him silent, but when they voted to get rid of Jesus, he alone did not consent. But his resistance was too little too late. 

The Sanhedrin, who were the Supreme Court of the land, were so desperate to get rid of Jesus they proceeded to mock the very system they had pledged their lives to defend. But in the middle of so much corruption and evil, Joseph risked his position and livelihood to give Jesus a proper burial. He took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Joseph disappeared from the biblical narrative after he rolled the stone across the entrance to his tomb sealing Jesus’ body inside. We don’t know what happened to him after his courageous stand, but that’s probably the way he would’ve wanted it. He wasn’t interested in fanfare. He just wanted to honor Jesus, even when everyone else ran away.   

If your devotion to Christ feels costly, remember Joseph of Arimathea. For whatever costs he incurred to his career, social standing, or bank account to honor Jesus, God amply repaid him. This once-distant admirer’s devotion is forever memorialized, and his donation was only temporary, which is the way God’s economy works. Whatever our faithfulness costs in this life God will repay, if not now, in the life to come. On this side of the cross, we see in full what Joseph only knew in part. Since Christ has been raised and Joseph’s tomb is empty, we too can be saved and counted among the faithful.