Greetings Dear Reader,
First-century carpenters did not have unions and companies
to market them. There might only be one
carpenter in small towns. Smaller towns ones
might have had to travel to a larger neighboring village to get carpentry work
done. A carpenter had to live on the
reputation of his work and often his father’s work as well.
This meant that one had to get up in the morning, stir
oneself to the tasks of the day, and give his best to the craft. It demanded that there be internal discipline
and motivation. In a town like
Nazareth, that was on the trade routes, there would have been ample work for a
good carpenter.
Reputation could have been built over generations for those
who inherited the trade from their fathers and forebears. Tools and skills would be passed down and
shared among brothers. I wonder if we
picture Jesus clearly learning the trade next to his Father. I like to picture Joseph and his sons toiling
together on a cart they are building for a spice trader. I imagine them showing up at a building site
with tools and lumber.
Years of discipline and motivation yield furniture, vessels,
transportation, and buildings. The
Carpenter we follow knew all of this and lived it. He was disciplined and motivated. He worked
to please both his human and divine fathers.
He did all that he could to be the best at his craft to honor the
legacy, the customers, and the work.
His callused hands understood what went into creating the
product of each job. His mind and
strength combined with a disciplined heart to produce practical beauty. We too can be this. We can discipline ourselves to follow his
example. We can learn from the Carpenter
how to live out our craft in the journey.
We can take our motivation and discipline from his example and later
teaching. That, Dear Reader, leads to very
good things.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every
writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a
homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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