Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 15:42-47

Everything ought to be right and in good order for the Sabbath. There were all sorts of rules and regulations, customs and traditions. Joseph of Arimathea appears on the scene wanting to make that possible. He asks Pilate if he might remove Jesus’ body in order to take it for burial.

Joseph is described as a respected member of the council and as waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. Was he a secret disciple or admirer of Jesus? Possibly, but there is no evidence for that. John Donahue and Daniel Harrington (The Gospel of Mark) do not see that connection. They rather suggest – “from Mark we get the picture of Joseph as a man who takes the risk of seeing to the burial of someone who had been crucified as the “King of the Jews.” What inspires Joseph is his devotion not so much to Jesus whom he barely seems to know but to the commandment to bury a fellow Jew on the day of his death.”

Joseph then, it would seem, simply wants to do the right thing for an unfortunate person, no matter what he is supposed to have done, Pilate checks that Jesus is definitely dead. Crucifixion was normally a slow and lingering death and it may well be, on the time that has passed, that Jesus has not yet breathed his last. However, the centurion, experienced in such matters, assures Pilate that Jesus is dead, and so the body is released to Joseph. Joseph takes the body, lays it in a tomb, hewn out of the rock, and covers the entrance with a large rock. I wonder if there are times when, like Joseph, we need to be bold and ask for things that enable us to do what God wants us to do. Do we dare to speak up in difficult situations?

None of the disciples are to be seen. At least, if they are, it is not reported, and we can reasonably expect that it would have been. However, at least a couple of the women remain within a reasonable range. The two that are mentioned are Mary Magdalene and another Mary. They don’t do anything – except for the hugely important matter of noting where it is that Jesus is buried. They want to be able to come back to this spot.