Max Lucado Daily Reading 6

"He's just a carpenter." -Mark 6:3

"No stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him." -Isaiah 53:2

"He had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as a high priest to get rid of the people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself - all the pain, all the testing - and would be able to help where help was needed." -Hebrews 2:17-18

Today's reading takes us to the dusty village of Nazareth. It is brought to our attention that jesus is working there as a carpenter and that he is being raised by his mother Mary, alone. Joseph must have died. The passages above show us that others around jesus didn't see anything extraordnary about his childhood. He did a job that was dingy, hard, and probably caused a lot of BO! He is living among a bunch of people who are not thought of by their government as more than laborers. He lived in a simple place and did a mundane job. He worked for others in a job of service.

I can kind of get a glimpse into God's reasoning for sending his Son to live among us. I can see that jesus would really relate to us because of his childhood and job in these stories that are referenced above. It makes me want to thank God for showing us that he understands. I know that he knows and that helps. Sometimes I really want to shake my fist at Him and complain about my circumstances. At least Jesus was here and felt some of the same emotions. He probably didn't experience all of it the same way that I do, but he was here and he did endure "earth's toughest pain".