Bookends
Mark 15:40-47
Have you ever considered how the two Josephs are like bookends in Jesus's life?
Photo by Susn Matthiessen on Unsplash
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid. - Mark 15:40-47
Joseph, the builder, accepted the call to be the guardian of Jesus as a child, and Joseph from Aramethia took charge of the body of Jesus after he died.
Both were ordinary men.
There was nothing special about either one. The first provided shelter for the infant in a cave, while the second gave up his tomb.
At both events, the ones who believed, the ones who were chosen by God were the women, the Marys. They got the message directly from God, while the men were moved to help without such a vision.
Oh, yes, we know that Joseph, the builder, had doubts and was visited in a dream, but the struggle to do something was internal for both men.
The women know what to do, while the men need to figure it out for themselves.
What is it God needs us to do?
Maybe it is as simple as being there to support the women who carry the faith.
I know how that sounds, but I believe we men have a meaningful purpose to fulfill in life. The life bearers are the women, but the protectors are the men.
We make everything safe.
In this time of gender confusion, that might sound old fashioned and naive, but look at how our faith grew. The women provided the financial support and hospitality for the men and the men provided the protection for all.
In the end, most of the men had abandoned Jesus, but one had the courage to step away from the Sanhedrin to ask for Jesus's body.
The two Josephs had to step out of their comfort zones to be there for Christ.
That is what we are being asked to do.
It is risky and sometimes dangerous, but it is how we manage to keep the faith alive.
Excellent parallels.