Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, March 30, 2013 Read – Luke 23:50-56 For the most part Luke follows Mark in the story of the burial of Jesus. The one who takes Jesus from the cross and lays him in a tomb is Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. Luke speaks of Joseph with the same words that he has used to describe the first characters he introduced us to in his gospel – Zechariah and Elizabeth who were righteous before God (Luke 1:6)and Simeon and Anna who were looking for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25). Joseph too was looking for the kingdom of God (Luke 23:51). We may be surprised to hear that he was a member of the Jerusalem religious establishment (Luke 23:50) but he had not approved of the proceeding. Perhaps we should not paint the religious establishment with such a wide brush and for that matter any group of people. Luke tells us that Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body – perhaps, along with his longing for the kingdom of God, Joseph was also attempting to fulfill the Law which demanded that the body of even a criminal must be buried before sunset in order that the land would not be defiled (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Luke omits Mark’s mention that Pilate sought to verify that Jesus was really dead and moves immediately to the tomb. Only Luke tells us that it was a tomb in which no one had been laid and only Luke reminds us that it was the day of preparation and that the Sabbath was about to begin. The Sabbath would begin at sundown on Friday – it is Luke’s gospel that helps provide the dating for these events. Like Mark, Luke tells of the women who first witnessed where the tomb was and then prepared spices for a more proper burial in the days to come. And then Luke writes some of the more unusual, yet important words in his gospel – he tells us that they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandments. Luke has been consistent in his demonstration that the followers of Jesus are faithful Jews hasn’t he!