Matthew 27:57-66. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
This scripture reminds me of two important elements of being a Christian. The first element is our Covenant with God. The dictionary defines a covenant as a legal term denoting a binding declaration of benefits to be given from one party to another. For us, as Christians, we learn that our covenant (Hebrew term meaning to bind) with God promises us eternal life through Jesus. May the God of Peace, who through the blood of our eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ… Heb 13:20
In our Covenant with God, He promises salvation through our faith in Christ, and we accept this by promising a life of faith and obedience.
In Matthew 27, we see Joseph’s faith when he collects the body of Jesus and prepares it for His return. He created a tomb out of the rock and wraps His body in a clean linen cloth, which makes me believe he has faith that Jesus will be resurrected as He had said. Also, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting opposite the tomb. This, along with their return to the tomb on the third day, shows they are awaiting our Lord Jesus’ arrival. I sometimes wonder if my faith is as strong as theirs.
Secondly, this chapter in Matthew brings to mind our upcoming Lent. Lent, by definition, is the Christian season of preparation before Easter, the time when Jesus is resurrected. We traditionally do this through prayer, penance, repentance, giving and self-denial. During the Wednesday Evening Program during Epiphany and Lent, we have discussed many things, one being whether or not we think attendance at church is a matter of choice or an obligation. Many different answers were given, but in the end we all agreed that though no one is forcefully dragging us here, it is a spiritual imperative to come to church. Praying together is strong and reinforces my faith. For me, it is important to be inclusive with all of my new family at St. Thomas. This means corporate worship, Stations of the Cross, works of mercy and simply being with you all. This Lenten Season, I will remind myself of our Covenant with God, focusing great attention to my obligations to Him, working on my Faith and Obedience. I look forward to worshiping with all of you.
—Dovey McLeod
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