Is Not This the Carpenter? (Part 3 of 3)

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“Is this not the Carpenter?” (Mark 6:3).

Previously we saw, in the words of G.H.Morrison, that “Every man learns certain lessons from the trade in which he is engaged.” And the question we posed was what are some of the things Jesus may have learned while working in the carpenter shop of Nazareth.

The first thing we considered was that Jesus would have learned how much may be hidden in a common thing. A simple piece of wood, handled with the right craft and care, may become any number of other things – remarkable to behold. The second lesson Jesus would have learned is the great pains it takes to transform a thing from what it is, to what it can be.

And now, to conclude; the third lesson we may consider as credible is that Jesus would’ve learned that the finest things are made of the hardest wood.

Very politely turn and tap someone near you on their head with the knuckle of your index finger. The harder the head, the more likely that person will be used for great things in the Kingdom!

Now, tap yourself on the head while you’re at it. Hopefully yours will not feel like a seed bag filled with mush! Soft heads don’t go far in any world.

Think of how hard a man Paul was before the Lord laid His hands upon him, transforming him into an Apostle. And now behold the wondrous power of the Lord's craft seen in the many books written by that one man, and the great reach of his influence down through the ages.

Don’t be too quick to dismiss what may seem to you to be a hopeless case – especially if you feel that way about yourself. The Lord often makes His finest things out of that which was deemed completely useless. Hard hearts are no challenge for Nail-scarred Hands.

He is working on you, and will take great pains to make the finest of things with what’s left of your life. And you will bear witness that yes, this is the Carpenter – Jesus of Nazareth who alone does wondrous works with otherwise worthless things!
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