Joseph of ArimatheaSample

Responsibility 

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council . . .  - Mark 15:43, NIV 

I imagine that Joseph of Arimathea, by virtue of his prominence, would have had many people depending on him and looking up to him. Perhaps, as often happens with all leaders, they would have looked with an eye of jealousy, but also with admiration. Every decision and every move was scrutinized and judged due to his powerful position. Of the little we know of Joseph, we do know he was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin Council. Therefore with so many competing voices, vying for his attention, it would have been imperative for him to be led by the right voices, so he could make the right choices. 

It was a voice Joseph heard that prompted him not to be part of the prevailing worldview, and it is a voice that is also available to us. It’s available for us to take heed and respond to. When you are prominent, pride becomes a temptation which relentlessly knocks upon your door. 

In a world that’s getting busier and more complicated by the day, which voice do you choose to hear? Few people and even fewer prominent people allow themselves the space or the time to sit in the silence and hear His voice. Even fewer tend to open the door. Amidst the competing demands and fleeting pleasures which prominence can bring, the timeless promise of His presence is calling and inviting us in. There is no prominent position or seat of prestige and importance where the voice of Jesus cannot be heard if we humbly listen. 

That was true for Joseph of Arimathea. Whether it was the intense debates in the Sanhedrin court, the insensitive interruptions which he must have faced, or the incredible demands on his time, Joseph heard the still, small voice urging him to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ. He obeyed the voice that convicted him that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. 

We don’t know when, but at some point, in the midst of his prominence, Joseph was convinced that a day was soon to come when every other voice would be silenced. A day when Jesus’ voice and His voice only would be heard. A voice that held more weight than the opinions of others, and a voice that would echo throughout eternity.