A friend told me this story recently about a carpenter, not as truth but as an illustration of truth …
The old carpenter
In a quiet village nestled between rolling hills and a vast sea, there was an old carpenter named Elias. His hands were weathered from years of shaping wood, but his heart was young and kind. He spent his days crafting furniture, repairing homes, and carving beautiful wooden gifts for the children.
The weary traveler
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, a weary traveler entered the village. His clothes were torn, his face was thin, and his eyes held a deep sorrow. The villagers, busy with their own lives, hurried past him. Some whispered about how he didn’t belong, and others simply ignored him.
Seeing the traveler from his workshop, Elias put down his chisel and approached.
“Come inside, friend. You look like you need rest,” Elias said, leading him into the warm shop.
The traveler hesitated but stepped in, sitting near the fire. Elias brought him bread and water, and as they ate in silence, the traveler’s eyes filled with tears.
“No one has shown me kindness in a long time,” the traveler said. “Why do you help me?”
Why the carpenter helped
Elias smiled. “Many years ago, I, too, was lost and weary. But I met a man who changed everything. His name was Jesus.”
The traveler looked up, intrigued.
Elias continued, “He found me when I had nothing. He fed me when I was hungry, healed me when I was broken, and loved me when no one else did. His love has never left me, so how could I not share it with you?”
The traveler sat in silence, taking in the words.
That night, Elias gave him a place to sleep. The following day, he handed the traveler a beautifully carved wooden cross. “This is a reminder,” Elias said, “Jesus loves you no matter where you go.”
Tears ran down the traveler’s face as he held the cross close.
The traveler left the village days later, no longer weary but filled with renewed hope. And wherever he went, he told others about the love of Jesus—the love that had found him in the warmth of a carpenter’s shop.
Eugene Peterson paraphrases from 1 John 4, explaining even better about this love that finds each of us … My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
Prayer
God, You whose love knows no bounds,
You who sent your Son to seek and save the lost–
You who asked Jesus to bear our sins–
To redeem us with His precious blood.
Teach, guide, help us to abide in that love —
Strengthen us by Your grace —
And may we reflect His mercy to the world —
For Your glory and our good.
Amen.
