Posts
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. They they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
- Luke 23:44-56a
On Saturday we read that were also two others, criminals, led with Jesus to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. The Gospel makes us take note o the strange natural phenomena accompanying this moment. The darkness over the earth from the sixth to the ninth hour occurs between noon and three o'clock in the afternoon. My study bible says that the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was a symbol of separation between God and man. Christ's death opens the way into the presence of God for everyone, giving people access to that which is the most holy of all -- which is God Himself. In many of the Eastern Churches, there is a curtain between the altar and the nave which is opened during liturgical services; this is directly to emphasize the opening of communion with God which was at one time sealed off from humanity. Now it is available to all who approach in faith. Jesus' sacrifice is for saving, opening us deeper to communion with God.
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last. Righteous to the "last," Jesus is praying: this is from Psalm 31:5. My study bible tells us that He doesn't have His life taken from Him, but will voluntarily commit it to the Father. It says, "His was the first human soul not to be taken to Hades; instead it was freely given into the hands of God." Thus, Christ frees all of humanity from death's grip. His death reconciles human beings with God, not by satisfying a need for blood-justice but rather by causing every aspect of our corrupt nature to be transformed: whatever divinity touches is healed. Christ accepts human nature in order to sanctify it. He accepts our weakness in order to make us strong, He takes on our sin in order to free us from sin, and He suffers in order to transfigure our suffering. He even enters death in order to destroy it (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). His death is not about "punishment" -- it is part of His mission of salvation and transformation, transcendence for all of us. The evil done to Christ is what is defeated in this world and for this world. By this voluntary death, Christ defeats death and leads the way for all of us.
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. My study bible points out a reflection on the conversion of this centurion (also known as St. Longinus), St. Cyril of Alexandria notes: "Observe that no sooner had Christ endured the Passion on the Cross for our sakes than He began to win many unto knowledge of the truth."
Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. My study bible suggests that had the apostles buried Christ, doubters could have claimed that His body was simply hidden away somewhere. Since Joseph of Arimathea was a council member and also known as a good and just man, this refutes the possibility of deception. It says that the spiritual significance of a tomb where no one had ever lain before is that Christ died a death unlike anyone who had ever died: this is a death without corruption, and one leading to victory over the grave itself.
That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. They they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. My study bible says that the rest in the tomb fulfills the image of Jesus' birth in a cave (the traditional place animals were kept in the time and place of Jesus' birth, and therefore a manger) -- and hence it reveals the ultimate purpose of His coming into the world on His saving mission. The faith of these women -- stronger than that of the disciples who were in hiding -- was still imperfect in that they prepared for the corruption of Christ's body. Of the day of the Sabbath, my study bible notes that God rested from His work of creation on the original Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3), so now Christ rests fro the work of the new creation on the Sabbath. Therefore He gives the Sabbath an ultimate meaning and also fulfills the Law even in His death. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, on Holy Saturday a hymn is sung, saying, "This is the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleeps in order to rise on the third day."
One thing we note about today's reading is, of course, the devotion of the women. They are the ones who have followed Him from Galilee, as the text tells us. They are the ones who have been with Him throughout His ministry. They will become known as "apostles to the apostles" for reasons we shall read later on in Luke's Gospel, but I think we could also call them "ministers to the Minister." They have helped with Christ's ministry by "ministering" out of their own resources. And, we note, they continue to do so now. The disciples, even the Twelve, are hiding. But these women do what they know to do. And it is a great teaching, to my way of thinking, on how we handle crises. They are going about the business that is their business: they are ministering, taking care of what needs to be taken care of, following the things they know to be correct, the things they must do. They "minister" to Christ in His death, first observing the tomb for Him, and then preparing His body for burial. And, following the Law, they devotedly rest on the Sabbath day. And they will wait upon the Lord. Because this is the way we know what we are about even when everything seems to be collapsing around us, even when we are in that place where we don't know yet what our lives will be and what we must now think and see for the future. We do what we know to do that is good, and we wait upon God. Joseph of Arimathea sets another courageous and heroic example: it is not at all in line with the rest of the Council and the powers who have put Jesus to death to go publicly and volunteer this tomb for Christ, to go to Pilate openly and ask for Jesus' body. But he too, is "waiting for the kingdom of God" and is a righteous man. What we can also observe in the actions of these faithful people are the greatest commandments at work: love of God and love of neighbor. They are not lost in ideological or philosophical wandering, they are caring for the One whom they love and know to be righteous and just, their Lord in faith. They are following the true commandments which we can rely on, they do what they know to do -- and the rest they leave to faith and to the future, to the ways God will reveal and the Church, when it gathers, will come to find. Life often, it seems to me, puts us in this kind of a place, where we don't know what we will do next. Often, it seems a great evil strikes to put us into a kind of panic and terror, something we cannot conceive and haven't dared to think about may be done. Life may place us there -- and particularly test our faith. These women show us the great example. They do what they must do, and they act from love, from what we have been taught: love of God and love of neighbor. In the end, we must hang onto this vision of life as one of love and relationship, especially in a crisis. That goes especially for the times we know not what we will do or what the future will bring, the times when everything seems to have fallen apart. Let us remember what we cling to, what gives us strength, what He's taught us. It's not ideology that save, but love. His love shows us the way! Their devotion shows us what true strength really is, especially when we just don't know the way forward or what the future brings. There are times when we have to live with the discomfort of what seem to be overwhelming contradictions. How can our Lord be put to death? This is the great question that frames the "stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles." Our faith calls us to do what we know, and to live with mystery we don't yet know, answers we don't yet have. This is also the stuff of patience, forbearance, humility, but also kindness, love, even joy and peace (yes, in serving their Lord), goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Their example is a great one for each of us.
