This season brings out the ugliness of the Cross AND the joy
that was set before Jesus to endure it. The exciting news is that WE are that
joy that was set before Him!
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
We’ve heard the song (or at least the phrase) “While He was
on the Cross, we were on His mind….” For me, that’s the most intimate part of
the crucifixion. It’s deeply personal. He looked through time and saw me, and
He saw you during the most painful experience of His earthly life. And when He
breathed His last breath, He said, “It is finished.” The requirement for our
sin was met, He willingly paid the price, because He loves us so much.
“For God so loved the world (US), that He gave
his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not die but have eternal
life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn
the world (US), but in order that the world (WE) might be saved through
Him.” – John 3:16-17
The almost-too-good-to-be-true news! It doesn’t get any
better than this! All He asks of us is that we believe – that He IS and that
He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) And He’s
already given us the measure of faith required to believe in Him! (Romans 12:3)
So many people reject God’s love simply because they don’t
believe that God made it that easy to please Him. The Old Testament covenant
was filled with laws and regulations to prove to us that we couldn’t measure
up. But then Jesus came to fulfill the law and bring His new and better
covenant to us. He calls it GRACE and He gives it to us freely!
What are you reflecting on this Resurrection season?
Yes, it’s good to reflect on what Jesus sacrificed for us.
But oh, the joy of reflecting on why He did it!
This is my Christmas story, I've share it before - but, here it is again. However you imagine the hammer used to nail Jesus to the cross, here's the story inspired in me many years ago. I hope you love it as much as I do....and the songs that follow the blog post.
(picture from ispygod.net)
The Hammer
by Helen Williams!
Since Mary and Joseph had been
turned away from all the inns and told they could stay in a barn and that their
child could sleep in the newly made manger when he was born, that’s where they
found themselves the next morning. Their child had been born late in the night,
a boy child. They named him Jesus. He lay quietly on a bed of hay in the
manger. As Mary sat there watching him sleep, she couldn’t help but notice what
a beautiful manger it was. Considering it was built to hold hay for the cows,
she wondered why its maker took such care and put so much delicate work into it.
Her husband, being a carpenter, might know. She called it to his attention and
asked him why he thought the carpenter that built it would have made it so ornate.
‘Well, either he just takes a lot
of pride in his work, no matter what he’s making, or he had nothing much else
to do and decided to put all that detail there to keep himself busy. Or perhaps
God told him that our child – His child, would lay there. Only the carpenter
himself knows. And yes, he did a wonderful job on it. But we’ll probably never
know who made it, dear.’
As he was answering Mary some
straw from the hayloft sifted through the boards and they heard a rustling
coming from above.
‘But then again,’ he whispered,
‘one never knows.’
He tiptoed around to the steps
that led to the hayloft and as quietly as he could, climbed them. When he got
to the top he boldly asked, ‘Who’s up here?’
He waited for an answer. At first
there was silence. But when he saw the straw moving, he asked, ‘Shall I come
see for myself?’
At that, the straw moved a lot
and from it emerged an old man. He tried to stand, but lost his footing and sat
down.
‘Hello, master. It is only I, the
keeper of the animals. I mean you no harm. I sleep here alone. I’ll be on my
way about with my chores now.’
He got up and hobbled to the top
of the steps as Joseph descended. He came down slowly. By the time he reached
the last step, Mary eagerly asked him if he knew who had made the beautiful
manger.
He nodded his head. ‘It was I,
ma’am.’
Mary noticed that even though he
was on the ground now, he didn’t stand up straight. She complimented the
craftsmanship he’d so skillfully used on the manger but had to ask, ‘Why did
you make it so special? A manger is for animals to eat from. You made it look
like a piece of furniture for a king’s house.’
‘Ah yes, ma’am. I did make
furniture for the king’s palace, and he did like it to be perfect. I can still
work as well as I used to, even though I’m all bent over now. So my work
carries on. Though the only job I could get was here. You see ma’am, once
you’ve worked for the king and been let go, no one wants you. I’m a reproach
among men and they don’t even know why. The king didn’t like the way I look. When
I was young and strong looking they liked to have me as the king’s carpenter.
But as I’ve aged, time has not been so kind to me. The longer I live, the more
bent over I stay. When the king dismissed me no one would even look at me. I
felt as though he’d spit on me. All I managed to bring with me was that big ol’
hammer there.’
(picture from pinterest.com)
He pointed it out. ‘So now, you
must know that God’s hand is upon me for me to make such a craft using such a
big hammer. The other tools I use, I’ve made myself. They too are meager, but
that big hammer was once in the king’s carpenter shop. I guess it’s rather
special to me. I worked there a long time.’
As he rambled on, he came nearer
to the baby and was straining his neck to see him. Joseph sat down behind Mary,
putting his hand on her shoulder. They both smiled at the man. Mary asked,
‘Would you like to see our baby? Come closer. He seems to have awakened by your
voice, but he’ll not cry.’
‘Why, his eyes are opened and
he’s just a newborn. I’ve never seen the likes of him,’ he chuckled. ‘It looks
as though he’s looking right up at me, almost as if he knows me. Cute little
boy. What did you name him?’
Joseph spoke up, ‘His name is
Jesus. Come closer. Would you like to hold him?’
‘Oh, you can’t trust my back. I
don’t think I should.’ But there was a look of yearning in his eyes.
‘God’s hand is upon you,
remember? You said so yourself. Pick him up and hold him close,’ Mary said.
The old man came closer and bent
over to pick him up, praying he’d be able to hold the boy Jesus. As he stood
up, he kept straightening himself to a standing position. At first he didn’t
even realize he stood up straight, as he did in his youth. He smiled at the
child and talked to him ever so quietly. He looked at Mary and said, ‘If I
didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to tell me that he knows me. Just
the wishing of an old man…’ His voice trailed off.
Suddenly realizing he was
standing tall, he exclaimed, ‘Why, little Jesus, if you could see me now! I’m
standing again! It’s a miracle!’
He held the baby close to himself
and began to dance around the room. Joseph smiled at Mary and she said, ‘It’s
not the first one to happen in this barn.’
After returning the baby to the
manger, the man said, ‘I’m blessed by the hand of God, indeed. I can’t repay God
for the miracle He’s done in my life, but I do want you to take my hammer with
you when you go. I want you to teach this young child to be a good carpenter.
As he grows, show him how to bring life to something as simple as a piece of
wood. And tell him about me when he’s older. And tell him about the manger.
And, I wish I could tell him myself. If you were going to be around for a
while, I’d make him something to take with him, from me. But I’m sure you’ll be
moving on shortly here. So take the hammer, please. The hammer reminded me of
when I worked for the king. But my walk will remind everyone that I walk for
the king, now.
His eyes gleamed with joy and
delight.
Joseph accepted the hammer from
the old man and promised that it would be Jesus’ to use as he grew, knowing
that he’d have to be quite a little man to swing that hammer. It was a big one,
indeed.
When Jesus was big enough to
swing the hammer, the first thing he made was a manger for his donkey to eat
from. He took time and care and lovingly made it after the pattern his mother had
described so many times. When he’d completed his work, he called his mother to
see it. He led her by the hand into the workshop where he and his father worked
so diligently. She was proud of his work and her eyes filled with tears.
Jesus said, ‘Mother, if my donkey
can come into the house, we can keep it there! It does look beautiful enough
for a king’s house, doesn’t it?’
‘It sure does, my son. But the
donkey stays outside. We’ll keep the manger forever. It will remind us how our
heavenly Father wants us humbled before Him, so He can lift us up with His
blessings. The manger you laid in was truly a blessing, to me, as well as to
the old man. I wanted you to have the best, but God wanted you to be born in a
barn. But in the midst of that barn, He let us know that He was there with us.
Oh my Jesus, I love you.’ She hugged him tight.
As Jesus grew older, he grew in
the wisdom of God and in love. He always showed his love, never esteeming
himself more highly than others. He knew that it was better to give than to
receive and he knew that he would give the ultimate display of love at the
appointed time. He knew that when you lend, expect not to receive back what
you’ve lent. And he always gave his best, which is why when a city boy came out
to where Jesus lived, looking for the biggest and heaviest hammer he could
find, Jesus gave him his.
The boy told him, ‘My father is
the biggest man in the city and he has a big job to do. I told him that I would
find just the right hammer for the job and I’ll keep looking until I do.’
Jesus stopped him and said, ‘Why
did you promise to find this special hammer for your father?’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ the boy replied.
‘Besides,’ he added with a whisper, ‘if I do bring home the perfect hammer, he
won’t send my mother and me away.’
(picture from icollector.com)
Jesus told him, ‘Well, you’ll
need a little help to carry my hammer. It’s very big; just right for that big
job. I’ll help you carry it.’
They walked together for almost a
mile. Pointing, the boy announced, ‘There’s my father. We live over there. He
will be please. Would you like to meet him? Come on.’
The boy ran ahead of Jesus,
calling to his father. Looking up, he saw them coming.
‘I’ve found the biggest and best
hammer for you, Father!’
His father looked at Jesus and
furrowed his brow. ‘Do I know you? You look so familiar. Your look says you
know me.’
‘No,’ Jesus replied, ‘you don’t
know me yet.’
He handed him the hammer and
shook his other hand. After Jesus turned to walk away, the man looked at his
hand, the one that held onto Jesus’, running his fingers over the palm as if he
were feeling for something.
‘He was a big man, wasn’t he,
Father? He sure had a big hammer, and he gave it to us, Father!’
Years later on a hill called
Golgotha, Jesus saw that hammer again, and it was being used for a big job
alright. After the soldier swung the last blow of the hammer, he looked at the
man he was nailing to the cross. His eyes filled with horror as he recognized
his face. He fell to his knees but quickly got back up before anyone would
realize that his heart was being pierced. It seemed like forever as he looked
into Jesus’ eyes, everything he’d ever done came up in his mind. He felt so
helpless and he somehow knew why.
(picture from pinterest.com)
Jesus said to him, so quietly
that no one else heard, ‘Now, you know me. And yes, I’ve always known you, and
I love you.’
It was no coincidence that his
marriage was mended from the day he received that.
It was no coincidence that his
son was standing there beside him, also in a Roman soldier’s uniform.
He dropped the hammer and walked
away from the cross, looking back only once. In his heart he grieved. But he
knew that God knew of his grief when Jesus cried aloud from the cross in the
air, ‘Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.’
He followed after the disciples –
forgiven and alive for the first time in his life.
Have you yet to hold that hammer
in your hand?
The house the King desires to
live in is your heart. What have you let Him build there – with His hammer?
Since Mary and Joseph had been turned away from all the inns
and told they could stay in a barn and that their child could sleep in the
newly made manger when he was born, that’s where they found themselves the next
morning. Their child had been born late in the night, a boy child. They named
him Jesus. He lay quietly on a bed of hay in the manger. As Mary sat there
watching him sleep, she couldn’t help but notice what a beautiful manger it
was. Considering it was built to hold hay for the cows, she wondered why its
maker took such care and put so much delicate work into it. Her husband, being
a carpenter, might know. She called it to his attention and asked him why he
thought the carpenter that built it would have made it so ornate.
‘Well, either he just takes a lot of pride in his work, no
matter what he’s making, or he had nothing much else to do and decided to put
all that detail there to keep himself busy. Or perhaps God told him that our
child – His child, would lay there. Only the carpenter himself knows. And yes,
he did a wonderful job on it. But we’ll probably never know who made it, dear.’
As he was answering Mary some straw from the hayloft sifted
through the boards and they heard a rustling coming from above.
‘But then again,’ he whispered, ‘one never knows.’
He tiptoed around to the steps that led to the hayloft and as
quietly as he could, climbed them. When he got to the top he boldly asked,
‘Who’s up here?’
He waited for an answer. At first there was silence. But when
he saw the straw moving, he asked, ‘Shall I come see for myself?’
At that, the straw moved a lot and from it emerged an old
man. He tried to stand, but lost his footing and sat down.
‘Hello, master. It is only I, the keeper of the animals. I
mean you no harm. I sleep here alone. I’ll be on my way about with my chores
now.’
He got up and hobbled to the top of the steps as Joseph
descended. He came down slowly. By the time he reached the last step, Mary
eagerly asked him if he knew who had made the beautiful manger.
He nodded his head. ‘It was I, ma’am.’
Mary noticed that even though he was on the ground now, he
didn’t stand up straight. She complimented the craftsmanship he’d so skillfully
used on the manger but had to ask, ‘Why did you make it so special? A manger is
for animals to eat from. You made it look like a piece of furniture for a
king’s house.’
‘Ah yes, ma’am. I did make furniture for the king’s palace,
and he did like it to be perfect. I can still work as well as I used to, even
though I’m all bent over now. So my work carries on. Though the only job I
could get was here. You see ma’am, once you’ve worked for the king and been let
go, no one wants you. I’m a reproach among men and they don’t even know why.
The king didn’t like the way I look. When I was young and strong looking they
liked to have me as the king’s carpenter. But as I’ve aged, time has not been
so kind to me. The longer I live, the more bent over I stay. When the king
dismissed me no one would even look at me. I felt as though he’d spit on me.
All I managed to bring with me was that big ol’ hammer there.’
He pointed it out. ‘So now, you must know that God’s hand is
upon me for me to make such a craft using such a big hammer. The other tools I
use, I’ve made myself. They too are meager, but that big hammer was once in the
king’s carpenter shop. I guess it’s rather special to me. I worked there a long
time.’
As he rambled on, he came nearer to the baby and was
straining his neck to see him. Joseph sat down behind Mary, putting his hand on
her shoulder. They both smiled at the man. Mary asked, ‘Would you like to see
our baby? Come closer. He seems to have awakened by your voice, but he’ll not
cry.’
‘Why, his eyes are opened and he’s just a newborn. I’ve never
seen the likes of him,’ he chuckled. ‘It looks as though he’s looking right up
at me, almost as if he knows me. Cute little boy. What did you name him?’
Joseph spoke up, ‘His name is Jesus. Come closer. Would you
like to hold him?’
‘Oh, you can’t trust my back. I don’t think I should.’ But
there was a look of yearning in his eyes.
‘God’s hand is upon you, remember? You said so yourself. Pick
him up and hold him close,’ Mary said.
The old man came closer and bent over to pick him up, praying
he’d be able to hold the boy Jesus. As he stood up, he kept straightening
himself to a standing position. At first he didn’t even realize he stood up
straight, as he did in his youth. He smiled at the child and talked to him ever
so quietly. He looked at Mary and said, ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d think he
was trying to tell me that he knows me. Just the wishing of an old man…’ His
voice trailed off.
(photo from harrolds.blogspot.com)
Suddenly realizing he was standing tall, he exclaimed, ‘Why,
little Jesus, if you could see me now! I’m standing again! It’s a miracle!’
He held the baby close to himself and began to dance around
the room. Joseph smiled at Mary and she said, ‘It’s not the first one to happen
in this barn.’
After returning the baby to the manger, the man said, ‘I’m
blessed by the hand of God, indeed. I can’t repay God for the miracle He’s done
in my life, but I do want you to take my hammer with you when you go. I want you to
teach this young child to be a good carpenter. As he grows, show him how to
bring life to something as simple as a piece of wood. And tell him about me
when he’s older. And tell him about the manger. And, I wish I could tell him
myself. If you were going to be around for a while, I’d make him something to
take with him, from me. But I’m sure you’ll be moving on shortly here. So take
the hammer, please. The hammer reminded me of when I worked for the king. But
my walk will remind everyone that I walk for the king, now.'
His eyes gleamed with joy and delight.
Joseph accepted the hammer from the old man and promised that
it would be Jesus’ to use as he grew, knowing that he’d have to be quite a
little man to swing that hammer. It was a big one, indeed.
When Jesus was big enough to swing the hammer, the first
thing he made was a manger for his donkey to eat from. He took time and care
and lovingly made it after the pattern his mother had described so many times.
When he’d completed his work, he called his mother to see it. He led her by the
hand into the workshop where he and his father worked so diligently. She was
proud of his work and her eyes filled with tears.
Jesus said, ‘Mother, if my donkey can come into the house, we
can keep it there! It does look beautiful enough for a king’s house, doesn’t
it?’
(photo from thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com)
It sure does, my son. But the donkey stays outside. We’ll
keep the manger forever. It will remind us how our heavenly Father wants us
humbled before Him, so He can lift us up with His blessings. The manger you
laid in was truly a blessing, to me, as well as to the old man. I wanted you to
have the best, but God wanted you to be born in a barn. But in the midst of
that barn, He let us know that He was there with us. Oh my Jesus, I love you.’
She hugged him tight.
As Jesus grew older, he grew in the wisdom of God and in
love. He always showed his love, never esteeming himself more highly than
others. He knew that it was better to give than to receive and he knew that he
would give the ultimate display of love at the appointed time. He knew that
when you lend, expect not to receive back what you’ve lent. And he always gave
his best, which is why when a city boy came out to where Jesus lived, looking
for the biggest and heaviest hammer he could find, Jesus gave him his.
The boy told him, ‘My father is the biggest man in the city
and he has a big job to do. I told him that I would find just the right hammer
for the job and I’ll keep looking until I do.’
Jesus stopped him and said, ‘Why did you promise to find this
special hammer for your father?’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ the boy replied. ‘Besides,’ he added with a
whisper, ‘if I do bring home the perfect hammer, he won’t send my mother and me
away.’
Jesus told him, ‘Well, you’ll need a little help to carry my
hammer. It’s very big; just right for that big job. I’ll help you carry it.’
They walked together for almost a mile. Pointing, the boy
announced, ‘There’s my father. We live over there. He will be pleased. Would you
like to meet him? Come on.’
The boy ran ahead of Jesus, calling to his father. Looking
up, he saw them coming.
‘I’ve found the biggest and best hammer for you, Father!’
His father looked at Jesus and furrowed his brow. ‘Do I know
you? You look so familiar. Your look says you know me.’
‘No,’ Jesus replied, ‘you don’t know me yet.’
He handed him the hammer and shook his other hand. After
Jesus turned to walk away, the man looked at his hand, the one that held onto
Jesus’, running his fingers over the palm as if he were feeling for something.
‘He was a big man, wasn’t he, Father? He sure had a big
hammer, and he gave it to us, Father!’
Years later on a hill called Golgotha, Jesus saw that hammer
again, and it was being used for a big job alright. After the soldier swung the
last blow of the hammer, he looked at the man he was nailing to the cross. His
eyes filled with horror as he recognized his face. He fell to his knees but
quickly got back up before anyone would realize that his heart was being
pierced. It seemed like forever as he looked into Jesus’ eyes, everything he’d
ever done came up in his mind. He felt so helpless and he somehow knew why.
(photo from lynnmosher.blogspot.com)
Jesus said to him, so quietly that no one else heard, ‘Now,
you know me. And yes, I’ve always known you, and I love you.’
It was no coincidence that his marriage was mended from the
day he received that hammer.
It was no coincidence that his son was standing there beside
him, also in a Roman soldier’s uniform.
He dropped the hammer and walked away from the cross, looking
back only once. In his heart he grieved. But he knew that God knew of his grief
when Jesus cried aloud from the cross in the air, ‘Father, forgive them. They
know not what they do.’
He followed after the disciples – forgiven and alive for the
first time in his life.
Have you yet to hold that hammer in your hand?
The house the King desires to live in is your heart. What
have you let Him build there – with His hammer?
Since Mary and Joseph had been turned away from all the inns and told they could stay in a barn and that their child could sleep in the newly made manger when he was born, that’s where they found themselves the next morning. Their child had been born late in the night, a boy child. They named him Jesus. He lay quietly on a bed of hay in the manger. As Mary sat there watching him sleep, she couldn’t help but notice what a beautiful manger it was. Considering it was built to hold hay for the cows, she wondered why its maker took such care and put so much delicate work into it. Her husband, being a carpenter, might know. She called it to his attention and asked him why he thought the carpenter that built it would have made it so ornate.
‘Well, either he just takes a lot of pride in his work, no matter what he’s making, or he had nothing much else to do and decided to put all that detail there to keep himself busy. Or perhaps God told him that our child – His child, would lay there. Only the carpenter himself knows. And yes, he did a wonderful job on it. But we’ll probably never know who made it, dear.’
As he was answering Mary some straw from the hayloft sifted through the boards and they heard a rustling coming from above.
‘But then again,’ he whispered, ‘one never knows.’
He tiptoed around to the steps that led to the hayloft and as quietly as he could, climbed them. When he got to the top he boldly asked, ‘Who’s up here?’
He waited for an answer. At first there was silence. But when he saw the straw moving, he asked, ‘Shall I come see for myself?’
At that, the straw moved a lot and from it emerged an old man. He tried to stand, but lost his footing and sat down.
‘Hello, master. It is only I, the keeper of the animals. I mean you no harm. I sleep here alone. I’ll be on my way about with my chores now.’
He got up and hobbled to the top of the steps as Joseph descended. He came down slowly. By the time he reached the last step, Mary eagerly asked him if he knew who had made the beautiful manger.
He nodded his head. ‘It was I, ma’am.’
Mary noticed that even though he was on the ground now, he didn’t stand up straight. She complimented the craftsmanship he’d so skillfully used on the manger but had to ask, ‘Why did you make it so special? A manger is for animals to eat from. You made it look like a piece of furniture for a king’s house.’
‘Ah yes, ma’am. I did make furniture for the king’s palace, and he did like it to be perfect. I can still work as well as I used to, even though I’m all bent over now. So my work carries on. Though the only job I could get was here. You see ma’am, once you’ve worked for the king and been let go, no one wants you. I’m a reproach among men and they don’t even know why. The king didn’t like the way I look. When I was young and strong looking they liked to have me as the king’s carpenter. But as I’ve aged, time has not been so kind to me. The longer I live, the more bent over I stay. When the king dismissed me no one would even look at me. I felt as though he’d spit on me. All I managed to bring with me was that big ol’ hammer there.’
He pointed it out. ‘So now, you must know that God’s hand is upon me for me to make such a craft using such a big hammer. The other tools I use, I’ve made myself. They too are meager, but that big hammer was once in the king’s carpenter shop. I guess it’s rather special to me. I worked there a long time.’
As he rambled on, he came nearer to the baby and was straining his neck to see him. Joseph sat down behind Mary, putting his hand on her shoulder. They both smiled at the man. Mary asked, ‘Would you like to see our baby? Come closer. He seems to have awakened by your voice, but he’ll not cry.’
‘Why, his eyes are opened and he’s just a newborn. I’ve never seen the likes of him,’ he chuckled. ‘It looks as though he’s looking right up at me, almost as if he knows me. Cute little boy. What did you name him?’
Joseph spoke up, ‘His name is Jesus. Come closer. Would you like to hold him?’
‘Oh, you can’t trust my back. I don’t think I should.’ But there was a look of yearning in his eyes.
‘God’s hand is upon you, remember? You said so yourself. Pick him up and hold him close,’ Mary said.
The old man came closer and bent over to pick him up, praying he’d be able to hold the boy Jesus. As he stood up, he kept straightening himself to a standing position. At first he didn’t even realize he stood up straight, as he did in his youth. He smiled at the child and talked to him ever so quietly. He looked at Mary and said, ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to tell me that he knows me. Just the wishing of an old man…’ His voice trailed off.
Suddenly realizing he was standing tall, he exclaimed, ‘Why, little Jesus, if you could see me now! I’m standing again! It’s a miracle!’
He held the baby close to himself and began to dance around the room. Joseph smiled at Mary and she said, ‘It’s not the first one to happen in this barn.’
After returning the baby to the manger, the man said, ‘I’m blessed by the hand of God, indeed. I can’t repay God for the miracle He’s done in my, but I do want you to take my hammer with you when you go. I want you to teach this young child to be a good carpenter. As he grows, show him how to bring life to something as simple as a piece of wood. And tell him about me when he’s older. And tell him about the manger. And, I wish I could tell him myself. If you were going to be around for a while, I’d make him something to take with him, from me. But I’m sure you’ll be moving on shortly here. So take the hammer, please. The hammer reminded me of when I worked for the king. But my walk will remind everyone that I walk for the king, now.
His eyes gleamed with joy and delight.
Joseph accepted the hammer from the old man and promised that it would be Jesus’ to use as he grew, knowing that he’d have to be quite a little man to swing that hammer. It was a big one, indeed.
When Jesus was big enough to swing the hammer, the first thing he made was a manger for his donkey to eat from. He took time and care and lovingly made it after the pattern his mother had described so many times. When he’d completed his work, he called his mother to see it. He led her by the hand into the workshop where he and his father worked so diligently. She was proud of his work and her eyes filled with tears.
Jesus said, ‘Mother, if my donkey can come into the house, we can keep it there! It does look beautiful enough for a king’s house, doesn’t it?’
‘It sure does, my son. But the donkey stays outside. We’ll keep the manger forever. It will remind us how our heavenly Father wants us humbled before Him, so He can lift us up with His blessings. The manger you laid in was truly a blessing, to me, as well as to the old man. I wanted you to have the best, but God wanted you to be born in a barn. But in the midst of that barn, He let us know that He was there with us. Oh my Jesus, I love you.’ She hugged him tight.
As Jesus grew older, he grew in the wisdom of God and in love. He always showed his love, never esteeming himself more highly than others. He knew that it was better to give than to receive and he knew that he would give the ultimate display of love at the appointed time. He knew that when you lend, expect not to receive back what you’ve lent. And he always gave his best, which is why when a city boy came out to where Jesus lived, looking for the biggest and heaviest hammer he could find, Jesus gave him his.
The boy told him, ‘My father is the biggest man in the city and he has a big job to do. I told him that I would find just the right hammer for the job and I’ll keep looking until I do.’
Jesus stopped him and said, ‘Why did you promise to find this special hammer for your father?’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ the boy replied. ‘Besides,’ he added with a whisper, ‘if I do bring home the perfect hammer, he won’t send my mother and me away.’
Jesus told him, ‘Well, you’ll need a little help to carry my hammer. It’s very big; just right for that big job. I’ll help you carry it.’
They walked together for almost a mile. Pointing, the boy announced, ‘There’s my father. We live over there. He will be please. Would you like to meet him? Come on.’
The boy ran ahead of Jesus, calling to his father. Looking up, he saw them coming.
‘I’ve found the biggest and best hammer for you, Father!’
His father looked at Jesus and furrowed his brow. ‘Do I know you? You look so familiar. Your look says you know me.’
‘No,’ Jesus replied, ‘you don’t know me yet.’
He handed him the hammer and shook his other hand. After Jesus turned to walk away, the man looked at his hand, the one that held onto Jesus’, running his fingers over the palm as if he were feeling for something.
‘He was a big man, wasn’t he, Father? He sure had a big hammer, and he gave it to us, Father!’
Years later on a hill called Golgotha, Jesus saw that hammer again, and it was being used for a big job alright. After the soldier swing the last blow of the hammer, he looked at the man he was nailing to the cross. His eyes filled with horror as he recognized his face. He fell to his knees but quickly got back up before anyone would realize that his heart was being pierced. It seemed like forever as he looked into Jesus’ eyes, everything he’d ever done came up in his mind. He felt so helpless and he somehow knew why.
Jesus said to him, so quietly that no one else heard, ‘Now, you know me. And yes, I’ve always known you, and I love you.’
It was no coincidence that his marriage was mended from the day he received that.
It was no coincidence that his son was standing there beside him, also in a Roman soldier’s uniform.
He dropped the hammer and walked away from the cross, looking back only once. In his heart he grieved. But he knew that God knew of his grief when Jesus cried aloud from the cross in the air, ‘Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.’
He followed after the disciples – forgiven and alive for the first time in his life.
Have you yet to hold that hammer in your hand?
The house the King desires to live in is your heart.
What have you let Him build there – with His hammer?
