Tomb

Luke 23:50-56 (The Message)

50-54 There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character.

He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council.

His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea.

He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God.

He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.

55-56 The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was placed.

Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes.

They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.

"What do we do now?"

The teen driver was ashen. He looked at me through his passenger window. His question hung in the air.

I was confused. In fact, I was angry.

As I made my way down Anneewakee Road, not a quarter mile from Shepherd of the Hills, this kid had decided to just stand on his brakes.

It had taken all I had not to rear-end him. I swerved my Jeep into the ditch, after locking the brakes, and came skidding to a halt beside him.

"What do we do now?" he said, through his open window and into mine.

Then I saw what he meant.

He had hit a small dog. The dog was gone.

There just wasn't much that we "could do now."

And yet, there was.

I turned my emergency blinkers on, and told him to get off the road and pull in front of me. I was in "pastor" mode. The dog wasn't the only victim of the accident.

An elderly lady stood beside her mailbox, crying. The little dog was hers, and had run out into the road as she went to get her mail.

Sometimes, life just turns on a dime. You can never expect it. You're never ready.

It leaves you asking, "what do we do now?"

For me, these last verses of Luke 23 leave us with one of those questions.

The "worst" has happened. Death has come. Jesus hangs upon the cross.

"What do we do now?"

We do the best we can.

Thank God for folks like Joseph of Arimethea. He intercedes in a way that none of Jesus' disciples had the power to do. And he uses that power because he "lived in expectation."

Because of him, a proper burial can take place. And so, they all do what they can.

So did we. We helped this stranger bury her beloved pet. We listened to her cry.

After we did those things, the young man asked me again. "What do we do?"

"Now, we leave," I said. And so did those who gathered at the cross. So do those who gather at gravesides anywhere and everywhere today.

It's not very fulfilling to just go home. It seems that more should be done. But in the waiting...those closest to Jesus drew closer to the resurrection.

We can do what we can...then we can wait...and we can know that there is hope that will be yet fulfilled.

Father, when our hearts are broken and we face the reality of death, we pray that you would give us the strength to do what we can, and to wait in faithful expectation of your power. May we remember the example of Joseph, and never lose hope in what may yet be.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.