Our teacher had strict rules, the chief one being, "No horseplay!" Punishments were harsh, public, and immediate. It was a stressful year in an arena fraught with potential pitfalls.
Consequently, I made every effort to follow the rules. I performed every step with care. I employed each hand-tool as intended, cleaned it after use, and stored it properly after cleaning. I used every power tool with extreme caution and only after donning the correct protective gear and obtaining permission from Mr. Towne to turn it on. As harsh as those experiences were, though, they had one big upside:
I became a carpenter.
At the end of that year, I could calculate board feet. I could design and build structures out of wood. I knew which woods were right for which purpose. I knew the difference between types, sizes, and uses of nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. I knew how to operate a power saw, a T-Square, and a wood clamp. I knew the correct way to swing a hammer (there really is a correct way). Eventually, my carpentry skills helped me pay my way through college.
So why this stroll down memory lane?
It was triggered by something I read in this week's Lectionary selections. In Mark 6, Jesus returns to his hometown partway through his three-year ministry. Initial praise and acceptance by the home crowd is soon replaced by their criticism and contempt:
"He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”
"But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching." (Mark 6:1-6 MSG)
Just a carpenter?!
Of all that was said, to me this was the most telling. Carpentry, done right, is complex. There are a thousand things that can go wrong or be done wrongly. It takes skill and concentration to ensure a good product. But that wasn't the problem. They didn't disparage Jesus as a poor carpenter.
What they did was something many of us have been guilty of: disparaging a person's vocation because it "isn't spiritual enough." It's quite common for us to believe spiritual thoughts can only be expressed by those who have received advanced education and training in religious matters.
How dare this mere carpenter speak as one who had a right to teach God's word?
They forgot that God sends who He chooses to send, regardless of their usual vocation (e.g., Amos was an arborist and a shepherd, Nehemiah was a civil servant, Elisha was a farmer). And because of this prejudice, and their unwillingness to see beyond their shared roots, they missed the opportunity to fully benefit from the teachings of Jesus.
Marshall McLuhan famously declared, "The medium is the message" (meaning, the method of delivery was just as important as the content, and in fact was the context for the message). That is often true with the messages God sends His people: the medium (the prophet, teacher, etc.) is often not a recognized religious practitioner.
Before you think I am disparaging those who have invested a portion of their lives in religious training, let me assure I am not. All I am urging is this: weigh the message; don't disparage it just because the messenger doesn't fit the accepted religious mold.
Even if he's just a carpenter.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/
Proper 9 (14) (July 5, 2015)
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
Psalm 48
Ezekiel 2:1-5
Psalm 123
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13
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What better way to start the weekend early than by joining us for Lectionary Breakfast? We still meet Friday mornings at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. That hour from 8:00 to 9:00 goes fast, but we're still able to squeeze in a week's worth of scriptures, discussions, and laughter.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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