Radicalized

Matthew 27:57-66

Today's reading represents what happened on two days.

Photo by ali golzari on Unsplash

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. - Matthew 27:57-66

The first recorded event is the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea on the evening of the day Jesus was crucified. This is the Day of Preparation, when the Jews would kill the lamb for the Passover feast.

That would be after the Sabbath had begun. It is now Saturday.

He goes to Pilate and gets permission to put Jesus' body in his tomb. The two Marys were there.

Because it is the Sabbath, they cannot do anything but watch the body be laid in the tomb and the rock rolled in place.

The guards are smart. They are afraid the followers of Jesus will come and steal the body, and if that happens while they are on watch, there will be hell to pay.

So, reminding Pilate of what Jesus said, they get permission to place the wax seal of Rome on the stone. This would be a deterrent, or so they thought.

Remember how Jesus entered the city?

Pilate has to be worried about the people who cheered for Jesus, the one who arrived mocking Pilate's authority. If they are not afraid of Rome, they are not afraid of anything.

So, I imagine that Pilate was nervous all day.

It is the Passover, so the Jews would not be out and about. But what have they been plotting?

When people stop fearing authority, when they are not afraid of dying, they cannot be controlled.

Jesus took away that fear.

This is a powerful force: unfettered resistance to authority. We see this today.

The question is, where does it all lead?

In Jerusalem, it led to the destruction of the Temple and the fleeing of the people. Is that what Jesus wanted?

Is that what the Messiah's arrival heralded?

No matter what God does for us, the power to act is in our hands. We choose. And we live or die by our choices.

Removing the fear makes it more likely we chill choose to be more radical.

More to come...

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