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Jesus Humanity and our Daily Work

Jesus was:

• born
• tired (Jn4 v5-6)
• hungry (MK11v12)
• thirsty;
• sympathetic (Mk 14v13-21)
• emotional (Jn 11v35)
• tetchy (Mt 14v 28-31, Mk8v21, Lk24v25)
• angry
• and maybe laughed a lot
• He talked
• walked
• rode on a donkey
• slept
• didn’t sleep (Mk 14 v 40-41)
• bled and
• died.
• He dignified daily work
• by being a carpenter
• with a centurion (enemy soldier); no criticism, only help,
• with a Roman ‘private’; (be content with your pay i.e. you can carry on soldiering - Mt8v5),
• with fisherman;(he helped them get a better catch Jn21v6)
• He did not tell pub landlords to strop trading nor tax collectors to stop collecting taxes (Mt 9v10-17).
  

In the OT Bezalel (Ex31v1 and 37-38) was gifted at all kinds of creative abilities but he wasn’t a sole operative; he was part of a team (with Oholiab and a large work force Ex 36v8). Similarly Jesus delegated work to the disciples (Mt 10 v5-8) and to us (Mt 28 v19-20).

As the old hymn says

This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold
A servant with this clause
makes drudgery divine:
who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
makes that and the action fine.

Teach Me My God and King, by George Herbert (1593-1633)

Which translates as:

Being led by God is the key
To satisfaction in our work
Because even boring stuff,
When done for God,
Becomes something satisfying,
Fruitful and worthwhile.

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