I thought that the subject of Fulltime Ministry and Professional Christians had been well covered in previous Blogs, until I spotted an article by Chuck Colson,

excerpts as follows :

“Jesus spent most of his life engaged in manual labour”

And this fact takes a while to consider.

At age 12, we are told, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover feast,

for 3 days he was in the temple, among the learned ‘doctors’ - the temple intellectuals of the day – listening to them, and asking them questions .. Luke 2:46

From the age of 12, until aged about 30 Luke 3:23, there is nothing recorded of his life - nothing at all - 18 years of silence !

But, being the son of a carpenter, he evidently worked with and perhaps for, his earthly father Joseph, in his trade.

Then Jesus’ anointing and his itinerant ministry of about 3 years began, ending at age 33 with his death on Calvary

So, it is highly probable, that for 18 years, Jesus was employed, and earned his keep, alongside father Joseph as a Carpenter ! Maybe it was called ‘Joseph and Son’!

18 years is six times as long as his 3 year itinerant ministry !

Did you hear that ?

Can you consider the implications ?

6 times longer in paid ‘secular’ - as theologians call it - employment, as in his ministry and his true mission ! Wow

But back to Colson’s article … and his excerpts from other writers ……

“ … the Christian apologist Justin Martyr said that during his lifetime, back in Galilee in the second century it was still commonplace to see farmers using ploughs made by the carpenter Jesus of Nazareth.

In his book “The Call” theologian Os Guiness reminds us that even the humblest work is important if done for God. “How intriguing,” Guiness writes, “to think of Jesus’ plough, rather than his cross – to wonder what it was that made his ploughs and yokes last and stand out.” Clearly they must have been well made if they were still in use in the second century !

Today Christians typically exalt spiritual work above manual work. After all, what is making a plough compared to with preaching to multitudes, feeding the 5,000 or raising someone from the dead? But the very fact that Jesus did make ploughs – and made them well – suggests that any work can be done to the glory of God.

Any work can be a genuine calling.

A calling, Guiness writes, is anything we do “as a response to God’s summons and service.” When God calls us to some task – even if it is something the world sees as lowly – that task is invested with what Guiness calls “the splendour of the ordinary. Drudgery done for ourselves or for human audiences will always be drudgery, but drudgery done to and for God is lifted and changed”

Accepting drudgery is one of the ways we practise discipleship – learning to offer it up sacrificially to God. Guiness writes again … “we look for big things to do – but Jesus took a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. We like to speak and act out of the rare moments of inspiration – but he requires our obedience in the routine, the unseen, and the thankless.”

We should never forget that the second Person of the Triune Godhead spent much of his life labouring in a woodshop …”

Thank you Chuck Colson …..

PRAISE GOD - He sees and ordains and respects the ‘secular’ employment that we do unto Him

And Jesus, Son of God, spent 6 times as long labouring in a woodshop, as he did in what Professional Christians in this day and age call their ‘ministry’

One last thought ….. maybe Jesus saved up his money that He earned during those 18 years of labour and employment, maybe he was thrifty, and maybe He actually drew on those funds during his latter time of ministry ?

Or maybe Joseph helped support Jesus later on, for those 18 years of effort and labour ?

And though a Carpenter, Jesus never built a building called a Church !

And the Apostle Paul, the tent-maker, followed Jesus example when he recorded that .. neither did we eat any persons bread without payment, but we wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you (indebted to anyone, sponge of anyone !) …. to make ourselves and example for you to be like us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat ! 2Thessalonians 3:8-10

Interesting thoughts for the Professional Christians of our day to consider ?

There should be quite a few hungry, if not starving, ex Pastors and ex Clergy around don’t you think ?