And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
All Commentaries on Mark 15:47 Go To Mark 15
Theophylact of Ochrid
AD 1107
He was bold with apraiseworthy boldness; for he did not consider within himself, I shall fall from my rich estate, and I shall be expelled by the Jews, if I beg for the body of Him, who was condemned as a blasphemer. It goes on: “And Pilate marvelled if hewere already dead.” For he thought that He should continue long alive upon the cross, as also the thieves used to live long, upon the instrument of theirexecution.It goes on: “And calling unto him the centurion, he asked him if he had been any while dead;” that is, before the time when other executed persons usually died. There follows: “And when he knew it of the centurion, (that is, that He was dead,) he gave the body to Joseph.”.
Burying the precious body preciously; for being a disciple of our Lord, he knew how greatly the Lord's body ought to be honoured. Though it has also another meaning, that he who receives Jesus in a pure mind wraps Him in a clean linen. There follows: “And laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. "It is said that the sepulchre of the Lordis a round cell, hewn out of the rock which was around it, so high, that a man standing upright could scarcely touch the roof with his outstretched hand; andit has an entrance to the east, to which the great stone was rolled, and placed upon it. In the northern part of it is the tomb itself, that is, the place where our Lord’s body lay, made of the same rock, seven feet in length, raised three palms higher than the floor. It is not open from above, but on the southside, the whole of which is open, and through which the body was brought in.The colour of the sepulchre and of the recess is said to be a mixed white and red.
Let us too imitate Joseph, taking to ourselves the body of Christ by Unity, and let us place it in asepulchre, hewn out of the rock, that is, in a soul recollected, never forgetful of God; for this is a soul hewn out of the rock, that is, out of Christ, for He is our rock, who holds together our strength. We ought also to wrap Him in linen, that is, to receive Him in a pure body; for the linen is the body which is the clothing of the soul. We must, however, not throw open, but wrap Him up; for He is secret, closed and hidden. There follows: “And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.”
