He was a rich man, fair and good.

Member of the collegiate of the highest magistrates of the people of Israel.

He had the opportunity to defend a Friend, among seventy of his peers. He did not fear losing the power, the wealth, the prestige.

The most important was the Friend. And the Friend was called Jesus.

The name of the rich man was Joseph, from the city of Arimathea, in Judea.

The good man could not avoid the arbitrary judgment of the Master, by the Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem, or His condemnation.

He followed His trajectory of pain and when He saw Him breathe out on the cross, he quickly turned to the procurator of Judea.

Pilate hoped that relatives of the condemned Galileo would come to him to request His body.

Strangely, it was a member of the Sanhedrin, who claimed to be his disciple, who came to rescue Him.

Pilate gave in immediately. Perhaps because he was still a little disturbed by his wife's message, who dreamed of the accused on that fateful day.

Or maybe by the mysterious words of the condemned. Or by the conscience that told him that he had convicted an innocent man.

With the permission of the procurator, Joseph hurried back to the Calvary.

He needed to avoid any brutal attempt by the soldiers to the body of Jesus.

He provided the removal of the cross. And he himself prepared everything, along with other friends, for burial.

The strips to wrap the members and the upper body. The shroud to cover the face. The linen sheet to wrap the body.

He also prepared the special aromatic herbs for the embalming, according to the Jewish custom.

Nothing was too much for the Friend.

Near Golgotha, about thirty meters away, Joseph of Arimathea had a property.

It was a kind of garden. There was a tomb dug in the rock, so that his own body could be placed in one day.

Without hesitation, he offered his intact tomb to welcome the body of the Friend.

*   *   *

Nobody lives without friends. Even the Solar King had them during His earthly trajectory.

And in death, his friends served Him, showing their tender affection.

The biblical book of Ecclesiastic refers to friends, sort of like this: Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and gold and silver do not deserve to be put on scale with the sincerity of their faith.

The faithful friend is a balm of life and immortality. There is no measure that evaluates its value.

Faithful friend is a strong protection. Whoever found it, found a treasure.

Do not abandon your old friend. With him you have already walked many miles and exchanged confidences.

The new friend is someone who comes to enrich your life. Cultivate new friends with zeal and prudence.

Remember that a kind word multiplies friends and decreases enemies.

*   *   *

Wise is the one who cultivates friendships with the zeal of a gardener.

In the ordeal you will always find a discreet presence to offer you a shoulder to cry, a lap to shelter.

Happy is the one who cheers the friend with what he has the best, because this one recognizes the preciousness of friendship.

  Spiritist Moment Team, with thoughts of chapter. 6,
verses 11 to 16, of the Ecclesiastical Bible book.
January 8, 2020.