It’s almost Easter, and I am almost ready – or so I thought. I had my shopping list – my amazing husband is shopping for groceries as I type this in fact. I have everything I need to put the kids’ Easter gift bags together. I am actually not behind schedule for once. So I take advantage of the time, and I sit down to do my devotions. I am doing a hodgepodge of sorts in my daily reading. Following a Lent reading from Margaret Feinberg and then homework from two different Bible studies. It’s weird, but it works for me.
What I want to focus on in this blog is a short reading from the Lent reading. It’s Mark 15:42-47; just 5 short verses. It’s all it took today for God to speak and move. There are two things that stood out for me in this reading. They relate to Easter and to every day. Verse 42 reads, “And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is the day before the Sabbath.” Day of Preparation. It was like the words jumped off the page. The day before the Sabbath is supposed to be a day of preparation. A day spent doing all the things that would become a distraction if left undone on the Sabbath. What a thought. Preparing for time for Jesus. I am just starting a study on the Sabbath, but I know it is a day dedicated to the Lord to worship and honor him with our time, however that looks. But the idea of preparing for it – I had simply never thought about this before. How different would my Sabbath times be if I took the day before to prepare? What if I could figure out how to prepare so that when I take time to honor God I am not distracted? I am not overwhelmed by the too-long list of things to get done. I will have to try this. I am sure the study on the Sabbath will help give feet to this new spiritual discipline unfolding in my heart. Perhaps I will write how it goes, what I learned, and what God wants to share.
The next part that struck me is in verse 43. I guess it really only took two verses for God to speak to me. Isn’t it wonderful when you don’t have to read chapters and chapters before God speaks? Although those times have their own sense of enjoyment, don’t they? Back to verse 43; it reads, “Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was himself looking for the kingdom of God took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” Did you catch it? He took courage. First I think of this verse in light of Easter. It must have taken tremendous courage for Jesus to face the cross. After all, He did pray three times that God would take this cup from Him, yet He did the will of the Father. If we are to reflect the life of Jesus in our lives, then we should be people full of courage. And then in light of Joseph. He was well respected by the leaders of that time. He was on the council, and I believe he was known by Pilate. I love the wording “took courage”. To me, it’s like looking at that thing we are supposed to do that scares us and then realizing God has a spirit of courage there waiting for us to just take it. Jesus took it to His death. Joseph took it facing government officials and peers. We can take it too! Why don’t we more often?
So as Easter fast approaches I have a new perspective. Preparing ahead of time to spend the day honoring my risen King with my full attention and my best efforts because I have come to that day prepared in the time and space in the day or day(s) beforehand. And I come to that day with courage. Courage to ask my neighbour to church instead of just talking about it.
But this isn’t just for Easter. Each week I have the choice to be prepared to have time to reflect on the goodness of God – to worship Him undistracted. And remember that I can take courage and face the things God is calling me to with confidence in Him. For in Him and Him alone I can be courageous.
