“And he was waiting on the Kingdom of God to come.” (Luke 23:51 NLT)
I’m still stuck on Joseph of Arimathea. It’s interesting, how he shows into the gospels in the midst of a nationwide crisis. Jesus had been falsely accused, suffered an unfair trial and was crucified. In the midst of that, the sun blacked out for three hours, the temple curtain tore from the top down, an earthquake shook the landscape and the tombs of holy people opened up and they reanimated throughout the city.
It sounds like a point in history even crazier than what we are experiencing today.
Yet, even in crisis, Joseph was et on the Kingdom. He looked around at all the chaos and still managed to do the next right thing. For Joseph, that was handing over his just-carved, never used family tomb and tending to the physical body of Christ. I wonder if there’s a lesson for us in his story today?
“He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. Then he took the body down fro the cross ad wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.” (Luke 23:52-53 NLT)
What’s in your hand and how can you serve the body of Christ right now?
What great instructions for a national emergency. Look around. Figure out what you have and find a way to help.
Lord, help us realize what is still in our hand. Many of us have resources; food, friendship, funds, empathy, intellect, attitude or skills to spare. Make us like Joseph in these circumstances, full of the hope of heaven and ready to lend a hand. Give us courage to be kind, generous and Kingdom focused in the mist of these crazy circumstances. Amen.