Stations of the Cross XIV: Joseph of Arimathea

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.

Matthew 27:57-60 (NRSV)

14. Joseph of Arimathea

it is not enough.
it will never be enough
to take His body—

God, the corpse.

it is so incomplete
there is so much to be said
but nothing i can say

the only thing i can give You
is my tomb.

i would rather have given You
my life.

the Savior is dead.
use your power,
your riches
to capture the ear of the authorities
and get the body.

swaddle Him and
carry Him like a child and
anoint His body with the myrrh
He has carried all His life
waiting for this day.

it is not enough.
it will never be enough.

--

God, who came in the form of a servant, keep us as we remember Your death on the cross.  Let the story of Your life and death guide us into the celebration of the resurrection.  Help us not move too quickly to the joy of Easter morning, but let us sit with You in the tomb, holding the paradox of our God who experienced death that we might have life.  Amen.

--

Slats (they/them/theirs) is a queer/trans/nonbinary Presbyterian (PCUSA). They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Master of Divinity and they deeply love liturgy and hymnody.  They write, preach, teach and often work as a director and sound designer for live theater.  They are currently in the ordination process, and spend much of their time working toward claiming queer/trans space in Christianity.

Slats' website is https://www.slatsite.com and their book, Queering Lent, can be found at http://a.co/4nAGn29.