Luke 23:50-56: a reflection

50Behold, there was a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for God’s Kingdom. 52This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. 53He took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. 54It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. 55The women who had come with him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

As the account of Jesus' death closes, a man named Joseph of Arimathea steps forward. He was a member of the ruling council, but the account is careful to note that he had not consented to their counsel and deed; a good and righteous man, he was waiting for God's kingdom. When Jesus was dead, this Joseph went boldly to Pilate, asked for the body, and gave it honorable burial, at a moment when to be associated with the crucified Jesus was costly and dangerous. Quietly, with integrity and courage, he did right when those around him had done wrong.

Notice two things about Joseph: his integrity and his courage. His integrity: though a member of the council that condemned Jesus, he had not consented to their wrong; he kept himself from the evil his colleagues did. And his courage: when Jesus was dead and it was costly and dangerous to be associated with him, Joseph came forward openly to honor him, asking Pilate for the body and burying it. He did not go along with the wrong of those around him, and he did right when doing right was costly and unpopular. Integrity kept him from the wrong; courage moved him to the right.

That combination, integrity and courage, is worth emulating, for we face pressure both to go along with wrong and to shrink from costly right. We can be pressured to consent to the wrong that those around us do, and to shrink from doing right when it is costly or unpopular; but Joseph neither consented to the wrong nor shrank from the costly right. When those around you are doing wrong, do not consent to it, as Joseph did not consent to the council's deed; keep your integrity. And when doing right is costly or unpopular, do it anyway, as Joseph came forward to honor Christ when it was dangerous. Keep your integrity amid others' wrong, and find the courage to do right when it costs you, as Joseph of Arimathea neither consented to the wrong of his colleagues nor shrank from honoring Christ when it was costly, but did right with quiet integrity and courage.

Lord, as the account of Jesus' death closes, a man named Joseph of Arimathea steps forward. He was a member of the ruling council, but the account is careful to note that he had not consented to their counsel and deed; a good and righteous man, he was waiting for God's kingdom. When Jesus was dead, this Joseph went boldly to Pilate, asked for the body, and gave it honorable burial, at a moment when to be associated with the crucified Jesus was costly and dangerous. Quietly, with integrity and courage, he did right when those around him had done wrong. Show me two things about Joseph: his integrity and his courage. His integrity: though a member of the council that condemned Jesus, he had not consented to their wrong. And his courage: when it was costly and dangerous to be associated with Jesus, he came forward openly to honor him. He did not go along with the wrong of those around him, and he did right when doing right was costly. Let me emulate that combination, for I face pressure both to go along with wrong and to shrink from costly right. I can be pressured to consent to the wrong that those around me do, and to shrink from doing right when it is costly or unpopular; but Joseph neither consented to the wrong nor shrank from the costly right. When those around me are doing wrong, keep me from consenting to it, as Joseph did not consent to the council's deed. And when doing right is costly or unpopular, help me do it anyway, Lord, as Joseph came forward to honor you when it was dangerous. Help me keep my integrity amid others' wrong, and find the courage to do right when it costs me.