Jesus, the Carpenter’s Son
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Concluding the account of Jesus’ temple encounter, Saint Luke reports that he *left with them and returned to Nazareth*. Nearly every aspect of Joseph’s life seems to have unfolded in Nazareth. And what can one expect from the life of a man from a remote village like Nazareth? Work, and nothing but work. Day in and day out, with the same diligence. Then, at the end of the day, regain strength and start working again the next day.This is how Joseph’s life unfolded upon his return from Egypt, much the same as it had been since his childhood. He likely died before Jesus began his public ministry. However, in Nazareth, he was remembered much later, and the Gospel references specifically highlight his status as a worker.> *When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old and was considered the son of Joseph* (Lk 3:23).> *A little later, on the occasion of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, which bore few fruits due to the unbelief of his fellow townsfolk, Luke recounts the comment of the amazed people about the wisdom of his words: “Isn’t he the son of Joseph?”* (Lk 4:22).> This time, Luke preferred to remember Joseph, while Matthew mentioned the Virgin: *Isn’t he the carpenter? Isn’t his mother named Mary?* (Mt 13:55).> Mark echoes Matthew: *Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary?* (Mk 6:3).The term «carpenter», commonly used in translations, is not the most appropriate to designate Joseph, nor, indeed, Jesus. *Tekton*, in the original Greek, is a word that, according to the most widespread opinion, translates to «artisan». Joseph was, therefore, an artisan, a worker who earned his living by his hands for himself and his people.The identification of Joseph’s profession with that of carpenter can probably be traced back to Saint Justin, who himself used it in his *Dialogue with Trypho*. There also exists an apocryphal account of *Joseph the Carpenter*. Given his authority and the fact that he wrote in the 2nd century, it is not surprising that this thesis prevailed over time. The term used in the Greek text, however, can also designate a worker who forges iron or one who works wood. Saint Ambrose spoke of a blacksmith Joseph, and he had some followers. After all, one hypothesis does not exclude the other, considering that Nazareth was not a large enough town to have specialized workers: as is common in small settlements, rather than specializing, it was customary to learn to solve everyday problems to meet the immediate needs of the people living in the neighborhood. In a word, many things had to be understood. Some also translate the Greek term as *master builder, builder of houses*, and some ancient authors, without much foundation, indeed, claim that Joseph was a *goldsmith*.Whatever his occupation, there is no doubt that it was a humble one. He was a man with a family dependent on him. As head of the household, he had the responsibility of supporting his relatives with dignity, and as a man, he had no other capital but his knowledge of a craft, capital that he had to earn through his work. And also in this, Joseph’s peculiar character is revealed, inclined towards the most everyday and simple aspects of life (which are in no way identical to the easy ones). He persevered in the same work unwaveringly. A whole life of work. But a work done with pleasure, a continuous service, without giving it weight, not only, but especially, Jesus and Mary, but whoever needed his skill and his commitment.As Saint Paul later did, Joseph worked with vigor and effort, day and night, to be no burden to anyone.(2Ts 3:8)The work was the activity to which Jesus dedicated most of His life. Therefore, He sanctified it and imbued it with redemptive value, to the point that it could transcend natural boundaries to become an offering to God and, even more, a collaboration in the work of Redemption. However, it must be truly performed with love: indeed, it is love that purifies work of any residual servility, transforming it into service. It is then that they strive to refine the work, and at the same time, one can fully speak of the honor of the work.The honor about which Charles Péguy wrote pages so splendid that they deserve mention, even if lengthy:We knew a work honor. We knew a commitment brought to perfection, identical in its entirety and in the smallest details. We knew the piety of a well-done work, carried out to the most extreme needs. Those workers had honor. A chair leg needed to be well-done. It was understood. It was a manifestation of superiority. It did not have to be well-done for the sake of the salary, or in view of the salary. It was not to be well-done for the master, nor for the connoisseurs, nor for the master’s clients. It had to be well-done for itself, in its own being. A tradition that dates back to the innermost of the race, a history, an absolute, an honor, they wanted that chair leg to be well-done. Every chair leg, though not all were visible, was as perfect as the one that was visible. It is the same principle to which we owe the cathedrals. All honors converged to this. Decency and subtlety of expression. Respect for the house. A sense of respect, of any respect, of the very being of respect, so to speak. Everything was a constant ceremony. Often, on the other hand, the house was confused with the workshop, and the honor of the house and that of the workshop were one and the same honor. Everything was rhythm and ceremony, from the dawn’s light. Everything was example and teaching, everything responded to a tradition, everything contributed to the healthiest custom. Everything was interior elevation, and prayer ends the day, sleep and wakefulness, work and rest in the garden, bed and table, soup and meat, house, door and road, courtyard and threshold, and the plate on the table. And, as a consequence, all the splendid feelings derived and filial. Respect for the elderly, for parents, for the family. Admirable respect for children. Respect, of course, for women: it is indeed appropriate to specify this, since today we are less and less concerned with respecting women for themselves. Respect for the family and the home. And above all, the pleasure and respect for one’s own respect. Respect for the tool and the hand, supreme tool.Charles Péguy, Money (1912).It is true that there are tasks that men call noble and others they consider cowardly: liberal arts and servile duties, intellectual pursuits and manual labor. But it is equally true that in God’s eyes there are other things that matter, because work, assumed by Christ, becomes a redeemed and redeeming activity: it is not merely the space in which man lives, but a means and a path to sanctity, a sanctifying reality.Joseph of Nazareth lived all this in his work, and he also faced opposition of profound depth. Jesus, too, knew the weariness and fatigue of the workshop, the monotony of days without relief or history. Yet no occupation was more fruitful than that of Joseph.C. Péguy was right to add, speaking of work:“‘Masters, fathers, parents, a man who works well and knows how to behave well can be sure that he will never lack anything.’ These are the two things that give dignity to the poor, and from them comes his strength: to work well and to behave well. And Saint Joseph was never what is usually called a ‘successful man.’”But beyond the fact that the anxiety for success can also be a serious obstacle to good work, as it turns what is merely a result into a goal, it does not seem to disturb his peace. He did not think that spending his life in that condition was bad, or that it was a failure not to aspire to climb the steep and risky ladder of honors.It may be that worldly criteria consider Joseph a failure, for having spent his whole life without prospering, without power (even though he never thought of it), in so many years of hard work, “making his way in life,” as they say, or “securing a future.” But these types of criteria, not uncommon in this world, are erroneous, because in the end Joseph achieved both goals. He did not do so in the way that the great majority of men understand these expressions, but in a completely different way, because it is not conventional but real. He opened the path to eternal life, a path of sanctity, and secured a future so radiant that the universal Church has him as its patron. And with Jesus and Mary, he merited to form the Holy Family, whose living of the mysteries of faith still leads us to a depth to be discovered in mariology.To deepen the identity of Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph in Marian tradition, consult the encyclical Redemptoris Mater by Saint John Paul II.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian theology, Marian apparitions, and the Graduate Program in Mariology.
Concluding the account of Jesus’ temple encounter, Saint Luke reports that he *left with them and returned to Nazareth*. Nearly every aspect of Joseph’s life seems to have unfolded in Nazareth. And what can one expect from the life of a man from a remote village like Nazareth? Work, and nothing but work. Day in and day out, with the same diligence. Then, at the end of the day, regain strength and start working again the next day.This is how Joseph’s life unfolded upon his return from Egypt, much the same as it had been since his childhood. He likely died before Jesus began his public ministry. However, in Nazareth, he was remembered much later, and the Gospel references specifically highlight his status as a worker.> *When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old and was considered the son of Joseph* (Lk 3:23).> *A little later, on the occasion of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, which bore few fruits due to the unbelief of his fellow townsfolk, Luke recounts the comment of the amazed people about the wisdom of his words: “Isn’t he the son of Joseph?”* (Lk 4:22).> This time, Luke preferred to remember Joseph, while Matthew mentioned the Virgin: *Isn’t he the carpenter? Isn’t his mother named Mary?* (Mt 13:55).> Mark echoes Matthew: *Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary?* (Mk 6:3).The term «carpenter», commonly used in translations, is not the most appropriate to designate Joseph, nor, indeed, Jesus. *Tekton*, in the original Greek, is a word that, according to the most widespread opinion, translates to «artisan». Joseph was, therefore, an artisan, a worker who earned his living by his hands for himself and his people.The identification of Joseph’s profession with that of carpenter can probably be traced back to Saint Justin, who himself used it in his *Dialogue with Trypho*. There also exists an apocryphal account of *Joseph the Carpenter*. Given his authority and the fact that he wrote in the 2nd century, it is not surprising that this thesis prevailed over time. The term used in the Greek text, however, can also designate a worker who forges iron or one who works wood. Saint Ambrose spoke of a blacksmith Joseph, and he had some followers. After all, one hypothesis does not exclude the other, considering that Nazareth was not a large enough town to have specialized workers: as is common in small settlements, rather than specializing, it was customary to learn to solve everyday problems to meet the immediate needs of the people living in the neighborhood. In a word, many things had to be understood. Some also translate the Greek term as *master builder, builder of houses*, and some ancient authors, without much foundation, indeed, claim that Joseph was a *goldsmith*.Whatever his occupation, there is no doubt that it was a humble one. He was a man with a family dependent on him. As head of the household, he had the responsibility of supporting his relatives with dignity, and as a man, he had no other capital but his knowledge of a craft, capital that he had to earn through his work. And also in this, Joseph’s peculiar character is revealed, inclined towards the most everyday and simple aspects of life (which are in no way identical to the easy ones). He persevered in the same work unwaveringly. A whole life of work. But a work done with pleasure, a continuous service, without giving it weight, not only, but especially, Jesus and Mary, but whoever needed his skill and his commitment.As Saint Paul later did, Joseph worked with vigor and effort, day and night, to be no burden to anyone.(2Ts 3:8)The work was the activity to which Jesus dedicated most of His life. Therefore, He sanctified it and imbued it with redemptive value, to the point that it could transcend natural boundaries to become an offering to God and, even more, a collaboration in the work of Redemption. However, it must be truly performed with love: indeed, it is love that purifies work of any residual servility, transforming it into service. It is then that they strive to refine the work, and at the same time, one can fully speak of the honor of the work.The honor about which Charles Péguy wrote pages so splendid that they deserve mention, even if lengthy:We knew a work honor. We knew a commitment brought to perfection, identical in its entirety and in the smallest details. We knew the piety of a well-done work, carried out to the most extreme needs. Those workers had honor. A chair leg needed to be well-done. It was understood. It was a manifestation of superiority. It did not have to be well-done for the sake of the salary, or in view of the salary. It was not to be well-done for the master, nor for the connoisseurs, nor for the master’s clients. It had to be well-done for itself, in its own being. A tradition that dates back to the innermost of the race, a history, an absolute, an honor, they wanted that chair leg to be well-done. Every chair leg, though not all were visible, was as perfect as the one that was visible. It is the same principle to which we owe the cathedrals. All honors converged to this. Decency and subtlety of expression. Respect for the house. A sense of respect, of any respect, of the very being of respect, so to speak. Everything was a constant ceremony. Often, on the other hand, the house was confused with the workshop, and the honor of the house and that of the workshop were one and the same honor. Everything was rhythm and ceremony, from the dawn’s light. Everything was example and teaching, everything responded to a tradition, everything contributed to the healthiest custom. Everything was interior elevation, and prayer ends the day, sleep and wakefulness, work and rest in the garden, bed and table, soup and meat, house, door and road, courtyard and threshold, and the plate on the table. And, as a consequence, all the splendid feelings derived and filial. Respect for the elderly, for parents, for the family. Admirable respect for children. Respect, of course, for women: it is indeed appropriate to specify this, since today we are less and less concerned with respecting women for themselves. Respect for the family and the home. And above all, the pleasure and respect for one’s own respect. Respect for the tool and the hand, supreme tool.Charles Péguy, Money (1912).It is true that there are tasks that men call noble and others they consider cowardly: liberal arts and servile duties, intellectual pursuits and manual labor. But it is equally true that in God’s eyes there are other things that matter, because work, assumed by Christ, becomes a redeemed and redeeming activity: it is not merely the space in which man lives, but a means and a path to sanctity, a sanctifying reality.Joseph of Nazareth lived all this in his work, and he also faced opposition of profound depth. Jesus, too, knew the weariness and fatigue of the workshop, the monotony of days without relief or history. Yet no occupation was more fruitful than that of Joseph.C. Péguy was right to add, speaking of work:“‘Masters, fathers, parents, a man who works well and knows how to behave well can be sure that he will never lack anything.’ These are the two things that give dignity to the poor, and from them comes his strength: to work well and to behave well. And Saint Joseph was never what is usually called a ‘successful man.’”But beyond the fact that the anxiety for success can also be a serious obstacle to good work, as it turns what is merely a result into a goal, it does not seem to disturb his peace. He did not think that spending his life in that condition was bad, or that it was a failure not to aspire to climb the steep and risky ladder of honors.It may be that worldly criteria consider Joseph a failure, for having spent his whole life without prospering, without power (even though he never thought of it), in so many years of hard work, “making his way in life,” as they say, or “securing a future.” But these types of criteria, not uncommon in this world, are erroneous, because in the end Joseph achieved both goals. He did not do so in the way that the great majority of men understand these expressions, but in a completely different way, because it is not conventional but real. He opened the path to eternal life, a path of sanctity, and secured a future so radiant that the universal Church has him as its patron. And with Jesus and Mary, he merited to form the Holy Family, whose living of the mysteries of faith still leads us to a depth to be discovered in mariology.To deepen the identity of Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph in Marian tradition, consult the encyclical Redemptoris Mater by Saint John Paul II.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian theology, Marian apparitions, and the Graduate Program in Mariology.Graduate Studies in Mariology
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