11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matthew 28:11-15)
Thoughts: Matthew speaks of the guards far more than the other gospels. It almost seems as if Matthew had talked to a guard who was there. The guards who were told to guard the tomb had become a liability to the elders and chief priests as the soldiers saw the empty tomb and the angel who came and sat at the tomb. The chief priests came up with hush money for the guards. Roman law is that any soldier sleeping on guard duty would be put to death. So for them to say they were asleep is a risky thing for them to say. But the chief priests said they would allow them to get off of any charges. Cover up is an amazing thing. The people who covered up for Watergate knew they were covering up for wrong, but they also justified it as a way to defend the institution of the presidency. So here, lying and risking punishment were used to defend the chief priests and elders of the land. This should teach us to value truth above pre-conceived ideas. Truth will be on God's side. He is the ultimate reality figure.
Prayer: Lord, let me live for what is true and real.
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