Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Mark 6:2-3 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
THE OTHER WORK OF JESUS
When we talk about the "work of Christ" we are almost always talking about what He did for our salvation: How He lived in our place and died in our stead, so that we, through faith in His redeeming blood, might have forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Since our redemption was surely the most important task Jesus put His hand to and finally accomplished, it is hardly a misnomer to call this the work of Christ.
At the same time, the Gospels report that Jesus worked as a carpenter before He began His ministry at age 30. Since Jesus no doubt learned this craft in the carpenter shop of His foster-father Joseph, that would mean that our Savior spent nearly two decades designing, shaping, and making various products associated with the trade of carpentry in the village of Nazareth. Things like yokes and plows, cabinets, doors, and window frames. To do this He used His mind and His muscles and the various tools common to the trade.
So, when we apply the gifts, abilities and talents that God has given us to the tasks He sets before us, we not only follow in the footsteps of our Creator, who shaped the raw materials He made into the different parts of His creation, we also follow in the footsteps of the Son of God who stepped into human history to redeem us. After all, the work Jesus did as a carpenter was also part of God's plan to save us sinners. In that daily work Jesus faithfully and thankfully did His Father's will. He not only worked with diligence because it gave Him joy to serve His heavenly Father in all things, He also worked that way because He loved us and lived His whole life as our Substitute.
Let us give glory to our Lord by taking up every task He gives us with faithful diligence and thankful joy. We have the honor of working for Him in everything, because He has made us His own.
