A Reflection for Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Find today’s readings here.
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith. (Mt 13:54-58)
“Is he not the carpenter’s son?” ask the people of Nazareth upon Jesus’ return.
In addition to mentioning Jesus’ family, the Nazarenes make primary and specific mention of his background as Joseph’s son. Joseph, being primarily known by his trade as a carpenter, was the barometer by which his own son was measured. We can infer from the Nazarenes' befuddlement at Jesus’ wisdom that Mary and Joseph (and presumably the rest of Jesus’ close relations as well) were humble and simple people who worked what we today might call “blue-collar jobs.” Thus, when Jesus came in with his astonishing teachings, they rejected him because they didn't recognize him as comporting with their idea of a carpenter’s son.
You see this a lot in the modern world. “Stay in your lane,” people will say. The Nazarenes could not comprehend the idea of someone from Nazareth becoming a wise and serious leader as Jesus is. The son of a carpenter, himself having learned the trade of his father, was now arriving in their midst to teach them lessons in theology and morality. What basis from which could he possibly ascribe such knowledge?
But the important thing to remember is that Jesus’ background actually matters. We can make a fairly reasonable assumption that the fact that he was a carpenter before his ministry factors in quite heavily to his understanding of the common man. After all, Jesus’ wisdom is not high-and-mighty. What is the most common way in which Jesus shared his lessons? It was not through rigorous theological debate, nor was it through supercilious preaching. It was through parables: oral tales and allegories that were digestible to everyday people. In other words, he used the words of blue-collar people to speak to blue-collar people.
We far too often disregard and ignore the contributions of those whose work we might (unconsciously) deemundignified: service workersdrivers, delivery people, handymen, doormen, and many more professions including builders like Jesus. These professions are populated by people who put their blood and sweat into every minute of their jobs, and are usually not rewarded with a large salary. It should also be noted that many of the people who work these jobs are people of color or otherwise marginalized, anddo not typically have the good fortune of a family background that can afford the burden of a college education.
So, the next time that an exterminator comes to your apartment or you need to contract a plumber to fix a leaky faucet, remember that Jesus’ job was not very different from theirs. Imagine for a moment that it’s Christ himself coming to help install your air conditioner, or delivering your packages. These are people who, against all odds, have made a life for themselves in professions that people don’t generally treat all that well.
But consider the wisdom that Jesus accrued from being a carpenter, his ability to relate to the common man’s experience and combine that with his theological prowess. There is a deep spirituality to the blue-collar experience, one with whichJesus was very familiar, and it might do us well to have more respect for the hardest-working people in our society.
