Matthew 27:57-61
My
mother-in-law, who was not a Christian, used to always find it a bit mysterious
that I had devoted my life to a study of the Bible. On numerous occasions, she
would give me that “haven’t-you-finished-with-that-book-yet?” look. The depth
of this document is deeper than the shallow limitations of the finite mind can
explore. Last week, we paused to notice three rather obscure ladies perched in
the shadows of the narrative.
Upon taking a
closer look, we witnessed their remarkable story, which certainly does not end
on the Old Testament side of the crucifixion. In our study, we picked up new
insights into such elements of the Christian life as repentance, service,
worship, joy, and hope. In our text today, the moneyman shows up.
He comes with a
fat wallet and a want for words. God planted a Joseph at the cradle and a
Joseph at the grave of His Son. The incarnation is sandwiched between two
silent men named Joe. We are told what the latter one said, but he is never
quoted, and not a single word from his lips is ever recorded. Of the former, we
have nothing from his lips whatsoever. His feet are speaking so loudly as they
travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and then finally back to Nazareth
that there is no room in the picture for verbiage. His preaching is not spoken
into a microphone, but rather comes out of his passport.
Cradle-watching
Joseph receives financial enhancement from the wise men from the East who come
to pay homage to the newly born King. Cemetery Joseph made his money in
Arimathea. We have no idea where that is. How, when and exactly where the funds
were secured remains a mystery, but the lesson we need to learn is that when
God needed it where He needed it, it would be there. God needed a place to rest
the lifeless body of the Messiah until resurrection day, and the man with the
fat wallet showed up on time.
Perhaps the most
fascinating piece of information given to us about this mystery man working the
graveyard shift is that he “had been discipled.” The gospel of John says that
he had become a disciple as though it were some kind of office that could be
held. The term “become” is not in Matthew’s text however. Matthew simply says
that he had been discipled. Now, that raises a whole host of questions. We have
all but lost the original meaning of that term.
Matthew 27:57-61
Where he was - in conflict
a. Double agent
b. Double option
c. Double tension
Where he went to - to minister
a. The sacrifice
b. The courage
C. The practical
Where he had been - trained
a. A movement
b. A model
c. A method
i. A
ii. A
iii. A