Did you know that Jesus was a carpenter by trade? His father, Joseph, was a carpenter also and he no doubt passed his know-how on to his son from an early age. Carpentry was a tough job in those days requiring physical strength and endurance and a high degree of skill. A carpenter did everything from cut down trees to make beams for the flat roofed houses to making stools and farm implements.

I think it is interesting that Jesus was a carpenter, and for the first time a few days ago I realized that was probably no accident. What He did in the natural is also what He did in the spiritual. In fact, it is the same work He is still doing today – building. Building people’s lives, fixing what’s wrong, sanding them down, polishing them up, making people strong and sturdy and useful and beautiful.

I look at how He delivered Mary Magdalene of seven demons and restored her; how He called little Zacchaeus out of a tree and turned his life around; how He took Peter’s big mouth and fashioned it into a teller of the Good News.

Yes, being a carpenter as a young man was a good background for His ministry work. And I’m glad that He’s so good at it when I realize He’s been working on me for a very long time. I’m not finished yet; if you are like me you probably aren’t either. But that’s okay. He is the Master Builder!