Voicing Opinions

Perhaps one of the greatest losses was recorded in just a few sentences in the Bible. Joseph of Arimathea did not agree with the execution of Jesus of Nazareth. He watched the death of one who was blameless, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was in the minority.

Luke 23:50–51 says this about Joseph after the execution of Jesus:

“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action.”

We are told in the other Gospels that Joseph was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. In John, we learn that he followed secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.

What can we learn from Joseph? 

I relate to this man more than I’d like to admit. I am very opinionated and want to be heard. Yet I often hesitate to voice my honest thoughts. I weigh the possible outcomes. At best, I might be dismissed by strangers on social media. At worst, I could hurt those I love. And what good would it do? We live in a free country, yet one that has never been free of prejudice and hate.

Does Jesus still love me even when I don’t voice my opinion?

Time has shown that Joseph of Arimathea was right in his convictions. But what would have happened if he had openly confronted the Jewish leaders? He chose not to speak out  and I trust that he had good reason. He may have lost his life. No one was asking for his opinion. And if he had spoken out, would he have had the tomb to offer Jesus? Would he have been able to take His wounded body and give it a proper burial?

What Joseph did do was act with integrity. And that kind of action was not against the law then or now. 

Luke 23:52-53 

“Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.”

Sometimes, I weigh my options and choose to remain silent, praying for a day when hearts will change. After all, opinions alone can feel small. What can an opinion do?

But action? Action can do so much more.

Act in kindness. Love your neighbor. Bind the wounds of the broken.

Acting on Faith

My reading today is of Noah. I am an analyzer at heart and have so many unanswered questions regarding this ancient story. However, when I brush my doubts aside and manage to accept my lack of understanding, I see a world of application.  

Back in the day, Noah was the only one who found favor in the sight of God. What was it that set him apart in God’s eyes? Was it his belief that God existed that set him apart? Was it because he led a blameless life? Was it the fact that he had a relationship with God, as seen in his conversations with the Creator? I don’t think these were the factors that made the difference between Noah and all the other people of that day. And here is why. You see, I can believe I am a world renown baseball player, wear the uniform of a baseball player, talk like I am a world renown baseball player, but that doesn’t make it so. I must have action in my life that demonstrates my ability as a baseball player. Too often we believe our own publicity without any real evidence. This goes for our life in Christ also. We often have little physical evidence of our faith in God. 

Noah believed God, had conversations with God, but the clincher is that he acted on God’s commands.  He had follow-through.  He chose to act on his faith. If he had not acted on God’s word, he would have been at the bottom of an ocean of water with everyone else.  His action of faith is what mattered. Faith must be followed by action.  In that order. 

This is not to say we could earn our salvation by any act. God took care of that by sacrificing his Son to die on the cross and be resurrected. Without God’s act of grace, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NET[8] For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

No, it is not how we act that saves us, it is how we act in response to God’s gracious love. Do we accept it?  Do we believe it enough to act on it? God gave us choices. Our part is to act on those choices and to continue to act on this in our daily walk with Christ.  

Lord, may I not only love and listen to you, but may I act accordingly.