943: Another Joseph

There are a few men named Joseph included in biblical narratives. One is the Old Testament Joseph of Egypt fame. Then there is Joseph, the father of Jesus, and also Joseph in Acts 4 who was given the nickname of Barnabas. There is one other Joseph that I want to focus on this week in my Proverbs 31 Men series and that is Joseph of Arimathea.

In case you are just tuning in, I am well into a series I am referring to as the Proverbs 31 Men, which is a collection of Memos that manifest the characteristics of men described in Proverbs 31, which of course also contains the well-known description of what we call the Proverbs 31 woman. You can read one of the first Memos that describes the Proverbs 31 man in full here or go back and read all the Memos so far that have looked at men like Amos, Mordecai, Onesiphorus, Ezra, and Simeon. In short, the characteristics I am looking for are:

1. Using leadership power to benefit and not harm those who are weaker.
2. Being concerned for social justice.
3. Honoring women.
4. Serving in leadership capacities as "elders at the gate," where wisdom and justice are dispensed.

My goal is to stir up modern men to take their place as Proverbs 31 men. Based on my experience in my church or from my travels, this is not happening.

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

I find four references to Joseph of Arimathea:

1. He was a disciple and follower of Jesus: "When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, one of Jesus’ followers, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new rock-hewn tomb, and rolled a great stone across the entrance as he left" (Matthew 27:57-60).
2. He was a bold man who was looking for God's kingdom: "It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb" (Mark 15:42-26).
3. He had not consented to how the Council treated Jesus: "Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Luke 23:50-56).
4. Even though bold, Joseph was a secret disciple because he feared the Jewish leaders: "Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there (John 19:38-42).

WHAT ARE THE LESSONS WE CAN LEARN?

Here are some things that stand out about Joseph that can help you be a Proverbs 31 man (or woman).

1. He was not a perfect man, for he was a secret disciple because he feared the backlash of his culture. God still used him and honored him with his story being told in all four gospels.
2. Jesus' death, rather than causing him to shrink back deeper into fear, caused him to come out and identify with the dead Jesus.
3. He was not a primarily a Jewish man or a synagogue man. His loyalty was not ultimately to his people or his church, but to the Kingdom of God.
4. His courage drew out Nicodemus who we must also assume was a "secret" disciple.
5. The women followed Joseph to learn what he had done and where Jesus was so they could follow up with their own devotion to the dead Jesus when the Sabbath was over.
6. Joseph used his wealth to help the poor, for he gave his expensive tomb to a man who could not pay him for it. Anyone who knows Jewish culture knows how important a burial is for the Jews.
7. While Joseph was a secret disciple, he publicly disagreed with the mistreatment of Jesus and the unjust sentence of the Council.

Here are some questions to ask yourself in light of what we just read and learned. Where is fear keeping you a "secret" disciple of Jesus? Are you bound by your wealth or love of money? Are you bold for the cause of Christ? Are you more committed to your church or your race than you are to the Kingdom and its values? Do women follow your leadership? Are you impacting others to be bold in their faith? Do you have the courage to speak up to disagree with less-than-godly decisions made at work, in your church, or in your family? I pray that God will grant you the grace to answer these questions honestly and then give more grace to become the Proverbs 31 person that Joseph of Arimathea was. Have a blessed week!