In the Gospel reading we learn that Jesus worked as a carpenter, the trade of his father Joseph. But he was also a prophet, and the Son of God, made man to share the good news of our salvation. The very people among whom he grew up resisted the notion that a humble carpenter could also be their Savior. They could not see beyond his low station.
Jesus chose to take up the ordinary profession of his earthly foster-father Joseph, and worked with his hands, alongside the important mission of spreading the Gospel, precisely to teach us his kind of humility and devotion. On account of his humble beginnings. His own towns-folk took offense and rejected him, judging him unworthy of becoming a prophet.
What hurdles prevent us from trusting in Christ as our Savior? Do we look for proof that Jesus really loves us and that he really is the God that has come to save us? We need to re-examine if our personal issues are getting in the way of our completely trusting in the Lord.
Let us pray for the grace of humbly trusting in Jesus’s power to deliver us from our weaknesses and short-sightedness, learning from his example of humility and great love for us. May his example teach us how to treat the people around us, especially to those who do menial tasks which allow our lives to be comfortable. May we see Jesus’s face and his great love among the least of our brethren, as he has taught us to do by the example of his own life.
