Why a Carpenter?

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Matthew 13:55 (NIV)

When God sent His Son into the world as a baby He chose Mary and Joseph to be the guardians of this special gift to the world. He could have chosen anyone as the father but He chose Joseph, the carpenter. As Jesus grew up in that home He learned the trade of a carpenter from His father. Jesus became a carpenter Himself but He was known as the carpenter’s son.

Jesus could have chosen any profession at all. He could have been a shepherd because He is known as the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. He could have chosen to be a fisherman, most of His disciples were fishermen and He told them that He would make them fishers of men. He could have been a teacher or a farmer or a merchant. He was a teacher and many came to hear His teaching. He told many parables about farming and merchants. However, He chose to be a carpenter.

Why a carpenter? First, He was obedient as a Son and followed His father’s teaching. He did not come to go against the status quo but to show obedience by following it. He became a carpenter because His father was a carpenter.

Second, He wanted to show the value of work. He did not just put value of teaching or fishing but He showed us that all work is valuable when it is done for the Master.

However, I think the real reason He became a carpenter is because carpenters have the ability to take an ordinary piece of wood and make something beautiful from the wood. They design the product whether it is a piece of furniture or a boat or a house. They carefully mark the material and cut the pieces. The pieces are then carefully put together according to the plan. The product is not finished when the last nail is driven because the article needs to be sanded, stained and polished until it has a beautiful finish.

The Carpenter has a plan for our lives. That plan is unique to us. He wants to take the raw materials and cut away the parts that He cannot use. He wants to shape us and fashion us according to His plan. He then takes the sandpaper of life and rubs away all the rough edges until we are smooth. He then finishes the project by applying the stain and the polish.

We may not like the cutting, nailing, gluing and sanding. We would like to go from the raw materials to the finished product without having to suffer the pain of the carpenter’s hand and tools. However, there is no shortcut to a fine piece of furniture and there is no shortcut to a holy life. God always has to take off the rough edges to make us beautiful.