Joseph of Arimathea and Mennonites

50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, 51 had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. Luke 23 NRSV

Last week when I was doing the Bible readings for Easter week the verse or two which "jumped out" was the reference to Joseph of Arimathea and the comment that "though a member of the council he had not agreed to their plan and action." Was Joseph of Arimathea present in the activities described in Luke 22 when Jesus appears before the whole council? If he was and didn't agree, why didn't he speak up? I imagine it was a combination of fear, pragmatism, and of not knowing what else to do

I suppose Joseph of Arimathea is a good model for Mennonites, especially those of us from German-Swiss and Dutch-Russian background. We find ourselves in positions of privilege and power but when faced with injustice or what seems to be a tough decision we keep our voices quiet, our heads down and go along with the majority. We certainly don't stick out our necks. But when disaster happens and there is a mess to clean, we are there, more than willing to pick up the pieces, put things back together, and maybe even get our names in the paper.