Why was Jesus a carpenter versus a pharisee or doctor?

[faustinamary]

One guess is that it was symbolic. He would die on a Cross so what better way to spend one’s life than on a career using wood. Other thoughts? Why not a pharisee (since he was so intelligent) or doctor (to heal people)?

Well, since he could do miracles there was no need to train as a doctor? And since so intelligent, no need to study as a pharisee? So that’s why it befitted him to have such a symbolic profession?

 

[Viki63]

He was a man of the common people, not one of the elite. And he followed in his foster father’s footsteps, who happened to be a carpenter.
It could be similar to the reason he was born in a stable. God wanted people everywhere in all places to be able to identify with him as one of us.
Not every place has doctors (some healers might be witch doctors, which gets into a sticky realm) and pharisees were a select religious sect, which might not have an equivalent everywhere. But every place has carpenters.

 

[fhansen]

Yes, it’s beautiful; His humility and simplicity. He didn’t want or need accomplishments or degrees in theology. He was simply the Truth, perfect in every way, as He was.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

His earthly father Joseph was a carpenter. It was the norm during those days for fathers to follow in the footsteps of their father.

 

[inocente]

Jesus loathed pharisees: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” - Matt 23.

 

[patrick457]

One guess is that it was symbolic. He would die on a Cross so what better way to spend one’s life than on a career using wood. Other thoughts? Why not a pharisee (since he was so intelligent) or doctor (to heal people)?

Well, since he could do miracles there was no need to train as a doctor? And since so intelligent, no need to study as a pharisee? So that’s why it befitted him to have such a symbolic profession?

I should just mention: Jesus was a tekton. It could mean ‘carpenter’ in the sense of ‘woodworker’, but the term by itself simply means ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. The term is not as specific as we think it is. It’s so general, so vague enough that it’s also likely Jesus also worked odd jobs like stonemasonry or construction work. (I mean, good quality wood was rare in those parts - they’re usually imported and isn’t likely to be found hanging around in a small hamlet like Nazareth - but there was a lot of stone and building projects available.)

 

[J_Peterson]

God is humble and poor. When He became man, He remained humble and poor.

 

[faustinamary]

God is humble and poor. When He became man, He remained humble and poor.

Do you think he was showing “contempt for the world” in terms of choosing a profession that others would look down own in comparison to lawyer (pharisee)/doctor?

 

[beleg]

Jesus loathed pharisees: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” - Matt 23.

I don’t think he loathed Pharisees - he didn’t loath anyone. What he didn’t like was the hypocrisy that many of them exhibited. If he truly disliked Pharisees, he would have never chosen Paul to be one of his disciples.

 

[faustinamary]

I don’t think he loathed Pharisees - he didn’t loath anyone. What he didn’t like was the hypocrisy that many of them exhibited. If he truly disliked Pharisees, he would have never chosen Paul to be one of his disciples.

Good point! He also chose Luke to be his disciple and Luke was a doctor. So the professions of lawyer/doctor were overrepresented in his disciples. But the disciple whom he loved, was John, who was neither. It could have been a Martha/Mary issue, where Pharisees/doctors are Martha and John, close to Mary and at the Cross, was Mary. Jesus, by becoming a carpenter, chose to emphasize the superiority of genuine humility?

 

[CB_Catholic]

Do you think he was showing “contempt for the world” in terms of choosing a profession that others would look down own in comparison to lawyer (pharisee)/doctor?

No. He was a practicing Jew, and he was doing what was customary for Jews of that time–learning an occupation from his father (step-father). I am not sure that physicians were so highly regarded in that culture, not like in ours, although they were better educated.

 

[faustinamary]

I don’t think he loathed Pharisees - he didn’t loath anyone. What he didn’t like was the hypocrisy that many of them exhibited. If he truly disliked Pharisees, he would have never chosen Paul to be one of his disciples.

Good point! He also chose Luke to be his disciple and Luke was a doctor. So the professions of lawyer/doctor were overrepresented in his disciples. But the disciple whom he loved, was John, who was neither. It could have been a Martha/Mary issue, where Pharisees/doctors are Martha and John, close to Mary and at the Cross, was Mary. Jesus, by becoming a carpenter, chose to emphasize the superiority of genuine humility?

No. He was a practicing Jew, and he was doing what was customary for Jews of that time–learning an occupation from his father (step-father). I am not sure that physicians were so highly regarded in that culture, not like in ours, although they were better educated.

You might be right that the cultures are different enough that physicians aren’t as highly regarded then as now. But do you think overrepresentation in the # of Jesus’ disciples (Luke) and the high level of education point to high regard?

 

[Sarcelle]

I should just mention: Jesus was a tekton. It could mean ‘carpenter’ in the sense of ‘woodworker’, but the term by itself simply means ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. The term is not as specific as we think it is. It’s so general, so vague enough that it’s also likely Jesus also worked odd jobs like stonemasonry or construction work. (I mean, good quality wood was rare in those parts - they’re usually imported and isn’t likely to be found hanging around in a small hamlet like Nazareth - but there was a lot of stone and building projects available.)

I’ve recently begun thinking of God as more of a craftsman, someone who crafted the entire created universe into being. Makes sense Jesus would be a carpenter. Our own creative powers, to craft things like a carpenter is an echo of this power.

 

[GEddie]

As a human being, our LORD was an “everybody,” apart from sinning.

It was not part of who HE was to seek an elitist position in the society (Pharisees) or a highly educated sector (medicine). Human esteem was not His goal.

He designed the human body; he had no need of medical training.

And the Pharisees and temple crowd were the system He was fighting.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[GEddie]

BTW, “over representation” is meaningless. When there are only 12 people, unless everybody is a physical worker, some over representation is inevitable.

ICXC NIKA

 

[faustinamary]

As a human being, our LORD was an “everybody,” apart from sinning.

It was not part of who HE was to seek an elitist position in the society (Pharisees) or a highly educated sector (medicine). Human esteem was not His goal.

He designed the human body; he had no need of medical training.

And the Pharisees and temple crowd were the system He was fighting.

ICXC NIKA.

He was a man of the common people, not one of the elite. And he followed in his foster father’s footsteps, who happened to be a carpenter.
It could be similar to the reason he was born in a stable. God wanted people everywhere in all places to be able to identify with him as one of us.
Not every place has doctors (some healers might be witch doctors, which gets into a sticky realm) and pharisees were a select religious sect, which might not have an equivalent everywhere. But every place has carpenters.

Thank you two for the insightful comments. But he was “elite” in terms of being able to do everything the elite could do and aspire to. He was a better lawyer than the Pharisees, at a young age he was lost in the temple, teaching. He could heal people so had all the powers of a doctor. The only thing is - he didn’t have political power, as a King. But he was from the bloodline of David and rules in the life everlasting.

Is it that he didn’t seek this because his goal wasn’t human esteem or because they would simply have been a waste of his time, as you mentioned “He designed the human body; he had no need of medical training.”

And are those pharisees and temple crowd the system he was fighting or just the people most likely to openly attack him so he responds back? St. Paul was a pharisee.

 

[faustinamary]

BTW, “over representation” is meaningless. When there are only 12 people, unless everybody is a physical worker, some over representation is inevitable.

ICXC NIKA

He could have chosen all of them to be fishermen, but it seems that he included majority fishermen and then a few of the elite professions.

 

[J_Peterson]

Do you think he was showing “contempt for the world” in terms of choosing a profession that others would look down own in comparison to lawyer (pharisee)/doctor?

I find it hard to believe he would look at the world and us and show contempt. I think sorrow would be more accurate than contempt.

A man was expected to take the profession of his father. He would have learned His father’s trade from a young age. It was what was expected of Him. You’d have to go a step further and ask why God chose a carpenter for his adoptive earthly father.

 

[faustinamary]

I find it hard to believe he would look at the world and us and show contempt. I think sorrow would be more accurate than contempt.

A man was expected to take the profession of his father. He would have learned His father’s trade from a young age. It was what was expected of Him. You’d have to go a step further and ask why God chose a carpenter for his adoptive earthly father

This is the verse of reference: “1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things of the world.* If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.l For all that is in the world, sensual lust,* enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.m” Since Satan is the rule of the world, could it be love/sorrow for** us** but contempt for the devil?

Yes, some others have posted some fascinating ideas (reposted below). Perhaps this was to highlight the fact that God created the heavens and earth, so he wanted Jesus’ “father” to have a profession that focused on creating things?

I should just mention: Jesus was a tekton. It could mean ‘carpenter’ in the sense of ‘woodworker’, but the term by itself simply means ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. The term is not as specific as we think it is. It’s so general, so vague enough that it’s also likely Jesus also worked odd jobs like stonemasonry or construction work. (I mean, good quality wood was rare in those parts - they’re usually imported and isn’t likely to be found hanging around in a small hamlet like Nazareth - but there was a lot of stone and building projects available.)

I’ve recently begun thinking of God as more of a craftsman, someone who crafted the entire created universe into being. Makes sense Jesus would be a carpenter. Our own creative powers, to craft things like a carpenter is an echo of this power.

 

[faustinamary]

A man was expected to take the profession of his father. He would have learned His father’s trade from a young age. It was what was expected of Him. You’d have to go a step further and ask why God chose a carpenter for his adoptive earthly father.

Yes, some others have posted some fascinating ideas (reposted below). Perhaps this was to highlight the fact that God created the heavens and earth, so he wanted a profession that focused on creating things?

I should just mention: Jesus was a tekton. It could mean ‘carpenter’ in the sense of ‘woodworker’, but the term by itself simply means ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. The term is not as specific as we think it is. It’s so general, so vague enough that it’s also likely Jesus also worked odd jobs like stonemasonry or construction work. (I mean, good quality wood was rare in those parts - they’re usually imported and isn’t likely to be found hanging around in a small hamlet like Nazareth - but there was a lot of stone and building projects available.)

I’ve recently begun thinking of God as more of a craftsman, someone who crafted the entire created universe into being. Makes sense Jesus would be a carpenter. Our own creative powers, to craft things like a carpenter is an echo of this power.