“Is not this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:1-13)

Mark 6:1-13

 

Pastor Tom Johnson, July 5, 2015

There is a tradition for newly ordained pastors. Sometimes it includes being ordained in their home congregation. Sometimes they preach their first sermon in their home congregation or are invited to preach early on in their ministry. My good friend, Pastor Ryan Tietz, will be preaching for the first time in his home congregation, St. James, in Lafayette, Indiana next week. He just received a call to be professor of Hebrew at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is just now preaching there the first time even though he has been ordained for quite some time. He is very excited. Although, his sermon text is from Amos which is about the rejection of his ministry by his own people. Ironic.

I was never asked to preach in my home congregation. It is Covenant Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana. Maybe it is because they called Tom Johnson to be their associate pastor about the same time I was ordained. I met Tom Johnson while I was in seminary. He is a really nice person. He has been serving at my home congregation for over 18 years now. I really don’t blame them for choosing that Tom Johnson over this Tom Johnson. I don’t think they take offense at me. I don’t take any offense at them. It’s just good to know that it is possible for Tom Johnsons to be received well in ministry. Although, I will say, it would be awkward for this Tom Johnson. The congregation would remember little TJ making a mad dash to the donuts after service—or the Tom Johnson who had to mow the church lawn for a whole summer because he snuck into the sanctuary with his friend, pulled pipes out of the organ consul, and blew into them like a flute. Not that Tom Johnson, I assure you!

This morning we join Jesus on a visit to his hometown. He begins to teach in his home synagogue. And they are quite impressed. “Preach it, rabbi!” they thought. “He is really good. Such wisdom and depth! What great power and authority!” And then they catch themselves. “Wait a minute…hold on, everyone. The last time we saw this rabbi he was covered in sawdust. Hard labor in the wood shed had callused his hands. We know his mom, Mary, and his brothers and sisters. “What sort of résumé is that? His origin is too close to ours. Our stories are too similar. We know he is mere flesh and blood. Do you remember that one time he stayed back in Jerusalem and his family could not find him? His parents were beside themselves. We all were.” And because people in Jesus’ hometown expected less from Jesus, they received less from him. And Jesus himself could not believe that they would so carelessly cut themselves off from all the blessings God had in store for them.

The truth is we cut ourselves off from God’s blessings all the time—just like the people in Jesus’ hometown. We do this when our vision of God is small. We do this when we remake God into our own image like people in Jesus’ hometown. God has made us in his image. God created us to reflect his love, creativity, and care for this world. Theologians call this the Imagio Dei. It is a very profound truth but just as simple: God made us. And he molds us to do his work on earth. We have not made God. We do not mold and shape God. And yet, that is exactly what we try to do. Just look at recent news and our reaction to it. It is good to do some soul searching as a nation in reaction to horrific violence and death. It is good for us to work together for laws that support our values and laws that bring glory to God. But it is not good when we speak of God or of Jesus in mere human terms and categories. “Is not this the carpenter?” Would not Jesus be a Republican? Would he not be a Democrat? Would he not take our side on this or that social issue? We presume we have got this Christ-figure figured out, well-categorized, and working for us. But what we have really done is diminish our vision of who Jesus is. He is not American. It makes me cringe to say that—especially just one day after the 4^th of July. He is Savior of the world. He loves all people. He is on humanity’s team. This Scripture reminds us that we should not despise the humanity in others.

I believe this is critical in our message to the world around us. I know it is probably not our intention but many non-Christians think that we follow a God who despises certain people, takes sides against them, or excludes them from his plan. We may not introduce doubt to the world by the question “Is not this the carpenter?” but we do when we define by mere human categories or remake God into our image. Sadly, many in the world sees a judge of sinners instead of a friend of sinners.

“Is not this the carpenter?” Yes, he is. Our Savior made furniture and homes with his hands. He got his hands covered in sawdust. He took gnarly branches and stumps and made beautiful beams and joints. He used tools with an artisan’s skill. This is the same eternal Word made flesh—the flesh and bones of a carpenter. He is the Son of God through whom heaven and earth were made. He not only has sawdust on his hands; he also has stardust on his hands. He is maker of heaven and earth. He works with wood. He works with dust and breathes into our nostrils the spirit of life. He knits us together in our mothers’ wombs. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. And the Carpenter has only begun his craft. The Carpenter puts his hands to the wooden cross. He transforms this Roman tool of death into an instrument of forgiveness and salvation. He rises from the dead to whittle, carve, and remake us. The Carpenter fashions us again into his own image with his nail-marked hands. And he says, “I make all things new.”