The Life of Jesus in Nazareth
The Lesson of the "Will of God"... for 30 Years
The Life of Jesus in Nazareth is
the great lesson of the
"Will of God"... and Jesus spent 30 years! to teach it
to us...we should learn it well.
The life of Jesus in His first 30 years is told in the Gospels when Jesus was lost and found in the Temple:
Luke 2:49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Mark tells us Jesus was a Carpenter: "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son (Mr.6:3)
Jesus a Carpenter:
For 30 years?... yes!... it is the great lesson!... every minute as a Carpenter had as much value as when he preached in the Temple, or as when He was at Mount Tabor or at Calvary... because every minute was doing the Will of the Father... and the importance of our actions is not what do we do but how do we do it, with what spirit and intentions we do it.
When Jesus was on the Cross was doing the will of the Father as much as when Jesus was nailing a piece of wood in his carpentry... either one with an infinite value, because He was God and doing the will of the Father...
Jesus spent 30 years to teach us this great lesson... as a Carpenter!:
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work (Jn.4:34).
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me (Jn.6:38).
When a Mechanic fixes the car of an unknown he is fixing the car of Jesus Himself!... that's what Jesus told us, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matt.25:40)... if the Christian Mechanic do it with this spirit, he is going to be honored to fix the car not of the President of the Nation but the Car of Jesus Himself... he is going to do a great job, with joy... he is not going to charge too much... he is going to be a better mechanic, to have many clients... and, yes, eventually, even to make more money!.
When a house-wife makes the food for the family is making the food to Jesus Himself... not to the Major or the Pope, but to Jesus Himself... to me!, says Jesus.
When a Christian lawyer or doctor takes care of a client is taking care of Jesus Himself!... do we do it that way?... it is the lesson of Jesus as a Carpenter... it took to Jesus 30 years to teach it to us...
This is how Jesus told us to pray: Our Father... your will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven (Matt.6:9-10)... yes, all the angels do in Heaven is the Will of God... and Jesus told us to the same, as the angels do, and, of course, our life on earth will be a piece of Heaven on earth... doing like the angels and saints do in Heaven...
The Will of God is all we will be doing in Heaven for millions of years... let's start to do it now... let's plant a piece of Heaven in our homes and work and in all our life... yes, we can!...
When you are working in a Factory, you are making the suit or shoes of Jesus Himself... you are going to feel honored, you are going to do a better work, with lots of joy... even the boss is going to notice it!...
Obedience:
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them (Lk.2:51).
"Obedience", that's the lesson that took 30 years to Jesus in Nazareth to give to us... obedient to Joseph and Mary... the lesson the young Christian people should learn well... and all the wives... and all men, to obey the one in authority... "obedience" is also the main lesson of the Book of Deuteronomy, the one Jesus quoted the most.
And Jesus Grew:
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Lk.2:52).
Yes, Jesus grew!... of course, when Jesus was born he could not walk, not talk... God could not walk nor talk!... He, as man, grew!... and this is other lesson: We have to grow, not only physically but mentally and spiritually, from grace to grace, says John 1:16, going to the Temple, reading the Bible... from faith to faith, from glory to glory, says Paul to the Romans and Corinthians, from failure to failure, from success to success...
Yes, we have to grow... For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephes.1:4).