SCRIPTURE Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ Matthew 28:11-13
-Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time:
Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year
THOUGHT What we have here is better than any episode of NCIS. Frightened eyewitnesses run to authorities they think will care, tell them in amazement and fear what just happened, and in a sudden twist, accept a bribe to tell a different story. A bribe from the treasury owned by the One who just watched his son die for the sins of the world. Some payback.
Outrageous news can cause outrageous behavior. You would think that soldiers from an army known for its bravado would stick to the facts, rather than stoop to a cover up. Doesn’t this truth, of all truths, bear telling? Soldiers who’ve vanquished foes hear of a Savior who’s vanquished the grave? It was a Roman soldier in charge of the crucifixion who said, “Surely this man was the Son of God,” and the highest Roman official in Jerusalem who declared, “I find no guilt in him.” They all saw the truth, but were afraid to stand by it.
Lest I get too carried away in my judgement, however, I remember my own reactions to feeling foolish. I have resurrection news too, and what I do with it either makes me more like the paid off eyewitnesses or the simple, humble moms, ex-fishermen and an ex-harlot who risked their lives to tell the truth.
PRAYER God forgive us when we tiptoe around the outrageous news of a grave-conquering Savior. The world will still pay us to shut up, but may we stand by the truth of our encounter with the Resurrected One.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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