What Makes the Miracle Possible – Saying “Yes And…” to Jesus Week 5 (Mark 15: 42-47)
This morning, we finish this series of sermons reflecting on the book being read by the elders, God, Improv, and the Art of Living. During these last few weeks, we have been thinking about the principal of Yes And, which means to accept something, and then add to it, to offer something to an idea or a reality in our life that builds it out into something more. Specifically, we have been thinking about what it means to say Yes And to Jesus. To accept him and to offer something that can help create something new. Today we heard a story from the Gospel of Mark that calls us to reflect on saying Yes to Jesus when things seem risky and when things seem hopeless. Part of that is because in this story, our main character, Joseph of Arimathea, has to accept and say Yes to the reality of death – specifically Jesus’ death.
Before we get further into that story, however, I want to talk about some excerpts from the book, that frame this idea. The author of the book, MaryAnn McKibben, likes to use pop culture references, and one of them made me think of this passage we just heard from Mark. McKibben uses as an illustration in her book events from The Hunger Games young adult novels. I haven’t read the books, but I did see the movies. So, if you haven’t read the books or seen the movies, a quick explanation. The stories are about young people living in a dystopian future who are forced to fight and survive against one another in an event called The Hunger Games. All this is broadcast for the entertainment of the rich ruling class of this world, and it is meant as a way to control other communities through fear. They’re kind of like the gladiator games in Rome. The hero of these stories is named Katniss, and she is forced into the games to save her sister. The big turning point for Katniss comes when her young friend Rue is killed. Katniss is heartbroken, and before they can come and take the body away, Katniss takes the time to gather flowers to adorn the body of her friend. Since all of this is being broadcast, the image is seen by all those watching. People are so moved by this act of kindness and compassion that recognizes the worth and dignity of every person that hearts and minds are changed. It sets in motion the events that lead to a revolution that plays out in the following books. Perhaps you can begin to seem some connections to the story of Jesus’ burial by Joseph of Arimathea.
MaryAnn McKibben uses this pop culture reference in her book to illustrate the importance of being open to saying Yes, even if it means doing something as simple as placing flowers for a friend who has passed. Sometimes even a small Yes can lead to big changes, sometimes they won’t, but its always worth saying and doing. And sometimes, no matter big or small, saying Yes can be a very risky proposition. We see both these things at play in the story of Joseph of Arimathea.
Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, a council of Jewish elders and decision makers in Jerusalem. So, he was an important person. Also, this council were involved in sentencing Jesus to death on the cross. They voted on it, and unanimously decided in favor of crucifixion, according to Mark. Somewhere along the line, though, Joseph had a change of heart. It may have happened before the trial, or afterwards, but Mark tells us that Joseph now awaits the Kingdom of Heaven. So, on some level he is a believer. At least in what Jesus teaches, maybe not in Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. So, similar to what we saw in the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector, we see here in the story of Joseph the privileged member of the Sanhedrin, that Jesus’ message has a way of reaching people, all kinds of people. Even those who are part of groups that may seem to be opposed to Christ’s message. With his mind now set on the Kingdom of God, Joseph decides to give Jesus’ a burial.
This is significant for several reasons. First, those who were sentenced to die by crucifixion were not usually given burials. They were left to hang on the crosses as reminders and warnings to anyone who might think about breaking the laws of the Roman Empire. It was a cruel and undignified way to day, and that cruelty and indignity carried on after the prisoner had breathed their last breath. For Joseph of Arimathea to give Jesus a proper burial in a tomb, was an act of care for Jesus and the dignity of his broken body. Crucifixion was a brutal and dehumanizing way to die, and Joseph was acknowledging Christ’s humanity, even in death.
However, giving Jesus a burial would also be risky for Joseph. Certainly, the other members of the council who decided to send Jesus to this fate would not be happy with his decision. That is to say nothing about how the Romans might have reacted. So, it was a very risky move for Joseph to approach Pilate and request to take custody of the body. Luckily, the only roadblock that Pilate throws up is his disbelief that Jesus would already be dead. This all happened on the same day Christ was crucified. Usually, the victims of crucifixion lingered on longer than that. But, once it is confirmed that he is dead, Pilate does not object. His cruelty continues to be illustrated by the indifference he shows to those people he has power over.
So, Joseph takes down the body, prepares it for burial and takes it to rest in a tomb. Having access to a tomb to bury a body in is another sign of Joseph’s privilege. Usually only wealthy families had access to such a burial. When Joseph buries the body one more important thing happens. Joseph’s act of care and mercy is witnessed by three women – Mary, Mary, and Salome. In Mark’s gospel these are the three women who will go to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, and who will be the first witnesses of Christ’s resurrection. So, we can see the importance of what Joseph of Arimathea does. The Yes And he offers in this story is to give Jesus the respect and care of a proper burial. He is simply following the proper burial rituals of his time. In that sense he offers a brick, not a cathedral. However, it is a big audacious gesture in the sense that he is subverting the will of Rome and his fellow leaders in Jerusalem. But also, because it is never a small thing to acknowledge and affirm and respect someone’s humanity. Even some who has passed away. Even if it only requires a small act of care or kindness.
This burial also sets the stage for big things. Joseph helps to set the scene for Christ’s resurrection. By acknowledging Christ’s humanity, he sets up the revelation of Christ’s divinity. Making it possible for that miracle to happen in a way that was able to be witnessed and received. Maybe you can see, then, why that scene from The Hunger Games resonated with me when I read this story from Mark. In both stories we see innocent characters killed as part of a ritual -crucifixion and The Hunger Games- that is used by that world’s rulers to control people through fear. Then, another character acts compassionately and gives the dead a dignified, humane burial rite. This act of compassion is witnessed by other oppressed people, and so that small act of compassion ripples out into big, revolutionary change.
These stories also remind us that to say Yes And to Jesus is a risky thing. Especially when we are saying Yes And to the Christ who dies on the cross. It means to follow one who does not promise us a life of ease, but instead acknowledges the reality of a life where there will be suffering, and there will be death. But of course, even these realities do not have the final word when we say Yes And to Jesus. Because there is also, resurrection and hope. When we say Yes to Jesus what we are saying Yes to is that hope. We don’t say Yes to Jesus’ power over others. We aren’t saying Yes to any sort of privilege or self-satisfaction that we may find in Jesus. We are saying Yes to the hope of the promise of God’s love revealed to us in Jesus.
Last week I spent a few days at a clergy retreat. During the retreat we were led through an exercise where we were supposed to pray and meditate on a specific word. So, the group leader poured a box of little cardboard tiles out onto the table. On each tile was a word. They were all face down, so we couldn’t see the word, but we were told to pick one up, and whatever word was on that tile was what we were to reflect on. There was a process to this prayer that involved walking, writing, and sitting in silence. The word on my card was ‘acceptance.’ One of the places my mind went to quite quickly was to the idea of Yes And. Acceptance, or willingly receiving what is given to us, is a big part of this improvisational rule. Acceptance is key to saying Yes. At first, I thought Yes was all there was to acceptance. As I thought about it some more, though, it occurred to me that true acceptance might require the And, as well. I began to think that perhaps saying Yes And was the way to truly and fully express acceptance. Maybe we know we have truly accepted something when we don’t simply say Yes, “Yes, I accept this,” but we say Yes And, “Yes, I accept this, And because of that I can do whatever the next right thing is.”
After all, we can accept a thing and still neglect it or ignore it. For instance, you may have received a Christmas gift when you were a child. A thoughtful gift from a loved one that you weren’t that excited about. So, opened it and said thank you, but then the toy ended up sitting on the shelf un-played with, or the sweater went unworn. We can accept someone’s presence but not truly engage them. We can accept past heartbreak or trauma but not do the work to process it. We can accept that life will end one day, but not prepare ourselves or our loved ones for it. Which brings us back to Joseph of Arimathea, showing a full, Yes And expression of acceptance. He accepts Jesus’ human death AND he accepts Jesus as a special and unique, perhaps even divine, being. He accepts the awful thing that has happened to Jesus, and he decides he deserves a burial. And because of Joseph’s actions, the three women who come to the tomb on Easter morning will be given a chance to accept fully the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Joseph accepted something, and the actions he took next began to give it a new meaning.
In that way Joseph of Arimathea, and all the Biblical characters we have talked about the past few weeks, show us what it means to say Yes And to Jesus. It means to practice acceptance, and in light of that acceptance offer ourselves to the world in whatever big or small ways that we can. It means meeting and Yes And-ing Jesus may take us to places inside ourselves or outside ourselves where there is discomfort or, even, suffering. But it also means something new can come from that. Yes there is suffering, Yes there is death, And there is resurrection, And there is hope. That is what we are truly and fully accepting when we say Yes to Jesus.
Amen.