Category: Matthew

  • Carpenter or Tekton? Seeing the World of Jesus More Clearly

    A carpenter’s workbench in an open-air stone workshop with a rough limestone block, chisels, a wooden mallet and wood shavings, with olive trees and sunlit hills beyond.

    Recently, I wrote about the need to read Scripture for ourselves and dig deeply. We have tools at our ready disposal, the envy of any seminary in history. We have the Bible in an almost overwhelming variety of translations.

    We have commentaries ranging from near the time of Christ to the latest in academic thought. We have study tools to help us understand the original language, and if we prefer, we have the Scriptures in their original forms. Maps, charts and works of history, archaeology and science aid our study. There are concordances and Bible dictionaries available for our use. We have photos and videos of the places of the Bible to help us envision them.

    The deeper we dig, the more we learn and appreciate the wondrous Word God has given us. The more we can understand Him. As we seek answers to our questions, we find we may not have all the answers, but we certainly get better questions. If nothing else, we put together a fuller, more accurate picture.

    Allow me a small example. We all know that Jesus was a carpenter.

    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. Mark 6:3 ESV

    Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Matthew 13:55 ESV

    The word translated “carpenter” is the Greek “tekton.” It means craftsman or builder. Jesus likely worked with wood, but since stone is more common in that part of the world, he also probably worked with stone as well.

    The fact that Jesus was likely more than simply a carpenter doesn’t change who He was or what He did on our behalf, but it does change our image of what He did and the world He lived and worked in. 

    There is nothing wrong with being a carpenter; it was and remains a much-needed trade today. Knowing He was a tekton – a builder, a craftsman – just gives us a clearer picture. Either way, he was a skilled craftsman who worked with His hands. He knew the cost and value of a hard day’s work. He was human in every way.

    In the end, that minor difference in wording may change nothing, but it helps me see the world of the One I love more clearly, and that’s a blessing.

    Read the Word. Take advantage of the plethora of tools to help you dig deeper. Get to know Him more clearly.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Digging into one small word, tekton, gave me a clearer picture of the world Jesus lived and worked in. Read the Word, dig deeper, and get to know Him more clearly.

    TAKEAWAY

    We have more tools for studying the Bible than ever before, including translations, commentaries, maps and concordances. We should use them.

    The deeper we dig, the more we learn. We may not get all the answers, but we get better questions and a fuller picture.

    Jesus was a tekton, a craftsman or builder who likely worked with stone as well as wood. That doesn’t change who He was, but it gives us a clearer picture of His world.

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  • Wars and Rumors of Wars: Living Ready for Christ’s Return

    LIfe is full of storms. Dark gray storm clouds fill the sky above a green evergreen and a tree with orange and red autumn leaves.

    Storm Clouds

    Yesterday was one of those days, rain interspersed with torrential downpours. We had brief moments when the sky wasn’t opening up on us, but they were few and far between. I snapped this view of the sky on my way to pick Kathy up from work.

    Life comes with all kinds of storms, both literal and metaphorical. Turn on the news, read a newspaper (yes, they still exist), check on social media, listen to people talk. There are storms. Times are hard. There are wars and rumors of wars, diseases rage, crime happens, evil walks on the earth.

    That truth isn’t news, and it certainly shouldn’t be a surprise.

    Jesus said,

    As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Matthew 24:3-8 ESV

    In the same discourse, he went on to say:

    “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31 ESV

    Social media is filled with people running around screaming “the end is near.” They are correct, of course; Jesus return is imminent – that is, it will happen suddenly. Attempting to guess the time and date is a futile exercise. Jesus told us that (Matthew 24:36 ESV) 

    So what do we do in these dark, evil times?

    We don’t need to panic or fret. There is no point in speculating. We live our lives as Christ commanded us. We take comfort in His promises and the truth that God’s timing is always perfect.

    Will we see His return in our lifetime? Quite possibly, but then again, quite possibly not. Let’s live our lives as if His return is just around the corner and show the world what peace and love look like.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Wars, rumors of wars, and storms of every kind are exactly what Jesus told us to expect. So let’s skip the panic and live as if His return is just around the corner.

    TAKEAWAY

    Hard times shouldn’t catch us off guard. Jesus told us there would be wars and rumors of wars, and He told us not to be alarmed.

    Trying to pin down the date of Christ’s return gets us nowhere. His return will come suddenly, and speculating doesn’t change that.

    While we wait, we live as Christ commanded. We take comfort in His promises, trust God’s perfect timing, and show the world what peace and love look like.

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