Christ as Worker

The term "worker" was, in fact, applied to Jesus himself. While the main understanding of the "work" of Christ refers to his work of salvation for men (his coming to earth, dying on the cross, and being raised again by God in power), there is an interesting reference to him as a worker, or more specifically, a carpenter (see Mark 6: 3). The fact that Jesus worked at a trade is significant. It not only shows us that he identified himself with those who sweated to earn a living; it also reaffirms the dignity of work. Work has been sanctified because of the fact that Christ himself worked. It can scarcely be beneath our dignity if it was not beneath his. It can scarcely be degrading if he ennobled it. Anyone who says that real, honest work is just too, too degrading must face the fact that the Son of God did not find it too degrading for him.

WORK IS NOT THE WHOLE STORY

A few minutes ago we saw that the Fourth Commandment stressed the importance of work in God's sight. But another phrase, following hard upon it, goes like this: "But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work" ( Ex. 20: 10). Work is not the whole story. We are made to work and to rest (and also to worship, as the following section will point out). To "rest" means that we stop for a while from shaping the world after our own fashion; that we try to remember that this is, after all, God's world, and that our real job is to try to fulfill his will rather than our own. Furthermore, rest is part of the way in which we are to reflect the divine image within us. We are to rest, as God "rested," according to the bold figure of speech in the Creation story: "And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done" ( Gen. 2: 2).

Jesus makes a similar point during his visit to Mary and Martha. Martha bustles about, positively bristling with activity, getting more and more flustered. Mary sits and listens to Jesus. Result:

MARTHA (peeved because she is doing all the work and the kitchen is very warm): Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? (Then petulantly) Tell her to help me.

JESUS: Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her ( Luke 10: 40-42).

Jesus is not praising laziness, but he is suggesting that we can become so fretful over our work that it ceases to have meaning. Mary was choosing "the good portion," not Martha. For Martha was "distracted with much serving" ( Luke 10: 40). It would have been better for her to sit at Jesus' feet than to prepare an unnecessarily elaborate meal.

There is a rhythm of work and rest which needs to be observed. Sleep is the most obvious example of this. Just try going without sleep for three nights in a row and then see how effective a job of work you can do on the fourth morning.