Building Faith: A DIY Carpenter's Tale of Finding God's Guidance in Woodwork
Advent devotions: How many professions do you find represented in the Christmas story? We find seven, and as a gift to you this advent, we have made a devotion about each one of them. This is the seventh day focussing on carpenter.
When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Mt 13:53–57.
The story of Joseph, the carpenter, and his role in raising Jesus on earth, highlights God's divine plan in choosing the right person for the job. Joseph's lineage ensured that Jesus was a descendant of King David, and his mastery of carpentry skills provided a stable and loving home for the Son of God. Although Joseph's occupation is not explicitly mentioned in the story of the birth of Jesus, it is mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament that he was a carpenter.
Today's carpenters look very different from biblical times, but I feel a special connection to this trade. Perhaps it's because I see myself as an amateur carpenter.
Several years ago, my family was blessed with a large house beyond our means. The rooms were enormous, but we did not have enough furniture to fill them. I felt grateful for the house but could not figure out how to make it feel like our home. I prayed and asked God for help. While studying the Bible, I stumbled upon the story of Moses. In the Biblical record, Moses asked God what he should do if people didn't believe God had sent him. God's response was to ask Moses, "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2). It was as if God's words spoke directly to me, and I took them to heart.
The following week, I took inventory of the messy garden and cluttered yard. As I sorted through the debris, I found numerous pieces of wood. I asked a local carpenter for assistance to craft some wood items, but his fees exceeded my budget.
After asking God what to do next, I hoped for a carpenter willing to work at a reduced rate. Instead, I came across the passage in John 14 where Jesus says that we will do the same things He did and even greater things. I took that scripture as a tool I have in my hand. Jesus was a carpenter, so I can also be one.
"YouTube University" served me well in those days. I watched every woodworking video I could find and phoned my dad for advice. After about a month of learning, I attempted to build my first table. It was a replica of our ten-seater dining room table and still serves as a side table in our house.
Looking back on the past fifteen years since that incident, I realise that many of my endeavours and conversations were influenced by how God's word became real to me.
For me it was incredible to experience how God used a brief reference to a trade in the story of Jesus to show me that he is present. He can do the same with your trade or profession. He is present no matter what we do.
Pray
Dear God, help me to believe that you can do incredible things through me. Show me how I can use my profession or trade to glorify you.
Scripture insights
When we read the Bible, it can be easy to fall into the trap of forgetting that the scriptures were originally written in other languages. In certain cases translators may have chosen words that were subtly different from the words in the original manuscripts. This can make it difficult to pin down the exact meaning of certain terms. Many biblical scholars believe that this is the case with ‘carpentry.’
Today, a carpenter is someone who works with wood. But did the original term in Ancient Greek (the language that the Gospels were first written in) mean the same thing? There is evidence to suggest that the scriptures originally identified Jesus and Joseph as being of the τεκτων (tekton) profession, meaning they were craftsmen or builders. This doesn’t preclude them from working with wood, but it does open up other possibilities as well.