Jesus was a tukang kayu

This afternoon the boys and I went to the weekly kid's Bible class in our neighborhood. The teacher, a young mom who lives up the hill from us, varies widely each week in her doctrine and some days I'm very thankful that the boys don't pick up much from the lessons! But today I was really challenged by what she said...

She was talking about the Great Commission and how we all should play a part in sharing the Gospel. She said "Jesus didn't go to university or have a lot of money... he was a tukang kayu.... a wood worker... And the people he gave that commandment to weren't rich or smart or well-educated or have powerful positions or jobs.... they were orang biasa... ordinary people."

I looked around the room at the crowd of little brown and black faces with no shoes on... they were definitely ordinary kids from ordinary homes. Their parents are not rich and are not well educated. Not a single one has running water in his home and many don't even have electricity. They don't get enough to eat and take their baths in the river every day; many have never even travelled to the "big city" half an hour from us.... ordinary people in this society.

Our neighbor is a wood worker... he works barefooted out in the sun all day with rudimentary tools - he makes a living, but would never be considered rich. His job doesn't command respect from the powerful people in this society - the government leaders and the church leaders - rich from corruption and disdainful of the ordinary people.

It struck me that Christ was born into the same life... He probably didn't get enough nutritious food to eat. He didn't live in the nice house in the neighborhood. His parents probably worried about money or what would happen if one of their children should get sick... Christ worked a trade that would provide enough food to survive, but would never lead to a life of ease and comfort. It was not a glamorous job and certainly not the type of job that would be a natural stair step into the position of religious leader of all time....

But how amazing that Christ was Who He was.... and that centuries later little ordinary Asian kids could look to Christ and know that He was accessible to them... that He didn't just come to the rich and powerful and that you don't have to be rich and powerful to be a servant of Christ. It almost made me cry praising the Lord for His wisdom in choosing such a life style that would resonate so deeply with so many ordinary people.

I put a lot of faith in my college and missions training... years and years of schooling, so that I will be a good missionary. :) But Christ calls these ordinary children to do the same job that I am doing and equips them through the Holy Spirit to be effective servants... with or without a college degree, new shoes and running water... He Himself didn't have those things either.