"Is This Not the Carpenter?"

     No matter how important you become, the people you will find hardest to impress are those you grew up with, who knew you when you were both snotty-nosed kids, and who watched you grow into an average Joe. Thus, when Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the reactions of the locals were: "Is this not the carpenter?" (Mk 6:3) or "... the carpenter's son?" (Matt. 13.55). So that is how we know how Jesus and St. Joseph earned their living. It also cast light on other passages. Thus, although "My yoke is easy" (Matt. 11:30) has a predominantly spiritual meaning, we should not forget that it came from a professional carpenter who once took pride in crafting yokes which did not chafe the ox.

     But does anyone have an idea what Jesus' or Joseph's workshop looked like? That famous, and mawkish, painting by John Millais really depicts a modern carpenter's workshop. Not to worry! Until about a century ago, the Middle East was culturally static. In March 1914, the National Geographic Magazine published an article by John D. Whiting on "Village Life in the Holy Land". And here is a colourised photo of a village carpenter which, apart from the clothing, might not have been out of place in First Century Nazareth. And yes, Jesus probably wore a turban.