Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost forty members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the fifteenth of a series of weekly meditations with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Author

David Frye, a member of the Spirit Driven Task Force and its Steering Committee.

Scripture

“Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who … was awaiting the kingdom of God.” —Luke 23:50–51, New American Bible

Meditation

Today, August 1, our calendar of commemorations leads us to remember the life and faith of Joseph of Arimathea. He was the “virtuous and righteous … member of the council,” who offered his own tomb as the resting place for the body of Jesus.

Luke’s Gospel tells us that while Joseph was a member of the council that had brought about Jesus’s arrest, Joseph “had not consented to their plan of action.” In fact, Luke tells us that Joseph “was awaiting the kingdom of God.”

For Joseph, that attitude—that posture of waiting for the kingdom—turned to action when he offered what he had as a gift to our Lord, when he took a public stand that placed his position and reputation at risk.

We don’t really know what went through the mind and the heart of Joseph as made his decision to serve our Lord. But we can guess. We can feel his worry, his doubts, his fears, his wondering what would be the outcome of his decision.

For Joseph, or for you and me to live in ways that people see as “virtuous and righteous,” is not to live as though we do not face threats because of the actions we take in faith. Instead, to practice virtue and righteousness is to take those stands, even the unpopular ones, the ones that place us at risk, knowing that our lives rest in the hands of our Lord.

Joseph himself handled the body of our Lord, taking it down from the cross, wrapping it in a linen cloth, and then placing it in his tomb. He knew that death was real, that forces in the world could bring down even the most holy and blessed one among us.

And yet, because of his faith, Joseph did not turn aside from what he felt called to do. He turned his waiting for the kingdom into working for the king.

What are the ways in which we wait for the kingdom of God? What are the powers that threaten us? What actions does God our Father call us to take to serve our Lord, no matter what the risk to our safety, our comfort, our wellbeing?

When the Spirit guides us to answer these questions, then we will find a clear path to take. Our actions will show all who see us that we follow Joseph in waiting for the kingdom of God by practicing virtue and by living in righteousness.

Prayer

Gracious Father, stir up your gift of faith in us, so that like Joseph of Arimathea, we may wait for the coming of your Son’s kingdom, taking actions that reflect the Holy Spirit’s gifts of virtue and righteousness; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.