Getting to Know Jesus by Name #11: Carpenter

Mark 6:2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 

The Carpenter: one of many names Jesus was called: "a worker who builds or repairs wooden structures or their parts."* As such, Jesus probably also was somewhat of a blacksmith, so between the metal and the wood shavings, it was pretty dirty business.  When people called him this, it was intended to be an insult, but it does really show what He came to do. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty with Mankind. He "laid his hands on the sick" and did the dirty work of dealing with our sin.  That Jesus is The Carpenter is indeed a wonderful thing.  There is no better place to be than in the hands of the Master Craftsman, who is able and willing to deal with the dirty mess that we are.