Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were said to be secret followers of Jesus. In addition to their secrecy, the origin of their secrecy was in common. They feared the reaction of their peers. So Nicodemus visits Jesus at night, and Joseph moves quickly and quietly to care for the dead body of Jesus.
This always brings up a point of wonder, is it possible to be a secret follower of Jesus? With the evidence of Joseph and Nicodemus in hand, we can quickly say it is possible. Yet, there is something strange about being a secret follower of Jesus. It seems to go against what we have been taught. Once the Holy Spirit was given the followers of Jesus were to be witnesses to Jesus to the very ends of the earth. It is very difficult to be a witness to something we are trying to keep a secret.
If like us you have exchanged rings at your wedding there is a very outward and visible sign of the union that is your marriage. Our wedding bands declare to those around us that we are spoken for. When wearing a wedding band it is nearly impossible to be secretly married.
A bigger question might be is Jesus the best kept secret of your marriage? You may have your wedding band on so the world knows you are married, but does the whole world know that you follow Jesus with your marriage? Over the years we have made choices that have caused others to wonder about the motivation behind our choices. This most often happens when we are choosing to follow Jesus with our marriage, which in turn gives us a chance to proclaim our relationship with Christ.
Following Jesus and marriage are never meant to be done as a secret. Both are to be proclaimed to the world so that others may know to whom we belong. Our proclamation is done with a combination of words and actions, and never is secret.
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