More than a Carpenter

While in Nazareth, we had a chance to visit an ancient village that had been reconstructed. Complete with actors, the guide took us through different aspects of the life of those who would have lived in that village in Jesus’ day.

The carpenter was just one of them, but the guide did a great job of tying in Biblical stories with the real-life images we had standing in front of us. For many, it was one of our favorite stops on the tour of the Holy Land.

In the First Century, a carpenter was someone who worked with their hands. They could work with wood and stone. They could build and create. Jesus did all this and more. His human side felt what we feel and even now is able to empathize with our human struggle.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heave, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV)