change

“With Pilate’s permission . . . ” (John 19:38 TNIV)

“ . . . in accordance with Jewish burial customs” (John 19:40 TNIV)

Joseph and Nicodemus were certainly respecters of rules! Joseph went through the proper channels of civic authority to obtain Jesus’ dead body. Nicodemus trundled 75 pounds of burial spices through the city streets. Then both men worked together to follow the customary Jewish burial procedures for burying Jesus. They had both believed in Jesus’ claims before his death, but secretly out of fear of reprisal from Jewish leadership. Now they’re both acting out their devotion to Jesus in daylight, for all to see (general public, civic and religious leaders, alike). Why this sudden change? What caused them to openly act out their devotion to Jesus in spite of their fear? Certainly reprisals could still come from the Jewish leadership. Did they feel safer because Jesus was now dead? They had not associated themselves with Jesus in his life. Did they desire to associate themselves with Jesus now, even in his death, before it was “too late to do so”? Did they just not care what the Jewish leadership thought or did anymore after seeing its gross miscarriage of justice regarding a man who had committed no crimes? Did they experience tough consequences for their choice to do what they did? What role, if any, did these two men play in the formation of the early church of Jesus followers? Or did they quietly return to their former positions within Jewish leadership as if nothing had ever happened? Was this indicative of a life change for both of these men, or just a momentary aberration? So many questions!

As I consider the choices, habits and routine behaviors that are customary in my own life, there are a few changes that I’d like to experience. What will it take for my desired changes to occur? If these changes do occur, will the changes be “for life” or will they look more like a never-ending stream of “periodic aberrations”? When will life-changing transformation finally occur for me? Will it? How desperately do I want these changes to occur? What am I willing to surrender, sacrifice or let go of in order to experience the kind of life change that I desire?

I suspect that Joseph and Nicodemus had some hard soul-searching and deciding to do before they came out into the light of day. So do I. So do you. I have no quick, easy, over-simplified answers for myself or anyone else – nor do I desire to receive any from anyone either. But I do have hope that Love is available to assist me along the way. And I do believe that nothing is impossible for Love.