Posting Gaurds

Mt. 27:66
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

The idea is, if the tomb is guarded the disciples cannot steal the body and stage a resurrection. Forget the healing, the miracles, and the teachings the rulers have witnessed over the last 3.5 years, these can be explained away. A missing body, that would only serve to add validity to the claims of Jesus and his followers. The claim that he would rise on the third day had to be prevented. And so the Romans posted a guard. And so, Jesus arose on the appointed day while guarded. Despite the efforts of the religious leaders, God's will took place.

I try to guard the tomb in my own way. Jesus commands us to love God and to love others. And so I do, when its convenient for me to do so. For me guarding the tomb is placing the teachings of Jesus that I don't like or that are uncomfortable for me, in a vault in my mind where I can keep them out of sight. Out of sight and out of mind, I am free to choose the commands I like to follow. I choose the teachings I like and I am free to forget the ones I don't.

God's will is different and will not be thwarted. He wants all to be loved, not just the ones I find lovable. And when I don't do as I should, God completes his will through someone else and I am diminished. Instead of going on the adventure, I read about it in a brochure. The experience is never the same when it is read about instead of lived.

The living are not found among the dead. The tomb needs no guards.