Lent: Joseph of Arimathea

Luke 23:50-56

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It's hard to stand up and perform a good deed when your friends are actively supporting the very thing you oppose. Joseph of Arimathea could have easily lost everything, particularly his position of authority in the Jewish community, for choosing to bury the body of Jesus. Yet he was "a good and just man...waiting for the kingdom of God".
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What are you living for? What sacrifices are you willing to make in order to see your dreams become reality? When we live for the Lord and are willing to sacrifice everything for His sake, we can be reassured that our dreams will always become reality. Heaven is a promise, not a wish. God's kingdom on earth is a vision of the future, not just a hopeful desire. Complete freedom from pain will be ours, not simply might be. Those who sought Jesus' death appeared for the moment to have won. They seemed to have gained exactly what they wanted. But the story isn't over. The next chapter spells disaster for the apparent victors and victory for the apparent victims. Those, like Joseph of Arimathea, who persisted in doing what was right saw Jesus defeat death. We also will see His complete victory over our enemies when we hold onto the Lord and live according to His desires. We might sacrifice a lot now, but we will live to see our dreams come true.