What are you waiting for?

Luke 23:50-56 (NIV)

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.

      When I read this passage, the phrase that jumped out at me the most was “waiting for the kingdom of God.” What does that mean, exactly? It had to mean something more than the fact that Joseph was simply waiting for the coming of the Messiah – all Jews were waiting for that. No, this phrase implies something much deeper.  The greek word for “waiting” used in this verse is prosedeceto, which means to admit or accept something offered, and to expect a fulfillment of promises. The greek word for “kingdom” is basileian, which implies not an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. It implies the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah. When it says that Joseph was waiting for the kingdom of God, it means that Joseph accepted Jesus as Messiah and Savior, and recognized his authority as the one true God.  He knew the story wasn’t over yet.

      We know this is really true based on Joseph’s actions that follow. Barnes’ commentary states that it was Jewish law that no body of an executed man should remain on the cross on the Sabbath. Therefore, unless someone had been there to plead with Pilate for the body of Jesus, He would have been buried that night with all the other criminals. Joseph boldly appealed for the body of Jesus. This must have taken courage – Joseph, a man who had previously kept his faith secret for fear of the Jews, was now making a public declaration, revealing his true feelings for Jesus. To ask for His body implied a certain amount of loyalty to Him. It was proof of his sincere affection. Joseph was still waiting for the kingdom of God – putting his faith in God – even after the death of Jesus. Even when it must have seemed that it was all over. That’s because He knew and believed in God’s promises. This was no time to give up – this was Preparation Day! This was a time to act, and act boldly! Joseph’s charge is an example for us – we who hope for a share in the rewards of His kingdom, must also own Christ’s cause, even when all hope seems lost.

      The Message translation used the phrase “alert expectation” to describe Joseph’s behavior. Some days we may not feel God’s presence as strongly as others. Some days it feels like there is no hope, and no point in going on. It is these times we must remember the promises of God and continue to wait with alert expectation that He is present, able, and working – and that we should be prepared. Like Joseph, when the time comes, will our faith boldly do Christ service? The Sabbath is about to begin – are you ready?

"The Buck Stops Here"

My church, St. John's Lutheran, always has its members write daily devotions during the Lenten season, that are emailed to the rest of the congregation. I wrote my first a couple years ago - this year, in lieu of trying to stretch my writing skills, I volunteered to do three. It's really been a blessing to me, so I thought I would share them here as well. I hope they can be a blessing to you too! This was my first this year, it went out this morning....

Luke 23:6-12 (MSG)

When Pilate heard that, he asked, “So, he’s a Galilean?” Realizing that he properly came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days. Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he’d heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn’t answer—not one word. But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations. Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.

Have you ever had a problem that you didn’t want to deal with? Maybe you tried to find a way to wiggle out of it and pass the buck to the next sorry chap? In this excerpt from Luke, Herod and Pilate are playing the ultimate game of “Not My Problem” with Jesus. No one knows what to do with him, so they just keep sending him back and forth between cities. As soon as Pilate finds out Jesus is from Galilee, you can practically hear the relief in his voice – “Oh, so he’s a Galilean!?” Pilate found his way out of the problem, and he gladly handed him off to his neighbor to deal with.

This, sadly, reminds me a lot of the way we treat certain situations or people in our own lives as well, because we don’t want to deal with them. We say “that’s not my job” or pull a Cain and ask “am I my brother’s keeper?” We look for ways to shirk responsibility. Or worse, if we can’t find a friend/family member/co-worker to hand the responsibility to, we pass the buck to God and tell Him it’s His problem to figure out for us.

Another part I found interesting about this excerpt, is that Herod was initially delighted to see Jesus. So what gives? Why all the ridicule and mocking later? Well, it says that Herod had hoped to see Jesus perform a miracle, or sign of some sort. But when Jesus did no such thing, Herod became offended and sent Him back to Pilate. Again, a similar way we treat other people or God. We expect something from them. When it comes to other people, we might value them based on what they can do for us, and get disappointed when they don’t meet our expectations. When it comes to God, we view a problem not as an opportunity for US to grow and learn, but for God to show off a bit, come to our rescue, perform a miracle, work our problem out for the good, “do something spectacular”. But when He doesn’t answer the way we want or do any such thing for us, we get miffed and turn on Him.

One last significant note – look at what Herod’s displeasure did to his relationship with Pilate. It brought them together, making them “thick as thieves”, as the Message translation so eloquently puts it. And this from two men who had hated each other before. The King James Version says they were previously at “enmity” with each other. This is a much stronger word, and paints a better picture of just how deep their dislike for one another was rooted – it means a mutual hatred, demanding action, being actively opposed to or hostile towards something. So how could two people who hated each other so vehemently suddenly become BFF’s? Well, let’s admit it – what else can bring two people together but a common rancor towards someone ELSE? Haven’t we all experienced this in our own lives as well? It’s our nature to band together when we find other people with a similar problem as us. When that problem is a person, we even tend to “gang up” on them.

It’s time we stop trying to pass off our problems and circumstances to other people or God. It’s time we stop expecting other people or God to solve our problems for us and then get upset when they don’t. The phrase “the buck stops here” is a pretty commonly known phrase in our culture. It was popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk in the Oval Office, as a reminder that the President has to make the decisions and accept the ultimate responsibility for those decisions. It’s time we all start adopting the phrase “the buck stops here”, and accept responsibility for the circumstances in our lives – whether they are there as a consequence of our own actions, or because God has allowed them – and ask Him what He wants us to do with it.