Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-21


crucinxion. Therefore the Bible reader
has right to suppose that short time
after Jesus came to young manhood 10
seph the carpenter died. Then Christ
has to 60 to work and take his foster
fathers place in the workshop. He
had to do as your elder brother did on
the farm when your father died. When
Christ was little more than a boy he
had to do mans work-aye. and more
than mans work. Jesus had to sup.
port his mothers family.
Christ by the forced toll and strug-
gle must have been fitted for sympathy
with the struggles Of young men and
young women. There must have been
many a weary hour in that carpenter
shop when Jesus. with aching back,
struggled on to fight the wolf Of cold
ard of hunger from the door. There
must have been many a blister upon
the hand from the almost ceaselcss
gripping Of saw and plane and chisel.
There must have been many bleeding
finger and blackened thumb when the
tired arm was no longer able to direct
the hammer Alright and instead Of strik.
ing the iron nail 1t crashed into the
bruised flesh. Christ as the man sym.
pathizes with the hungry, because
Christ as the boy perhaps often went
faint to bed that his brothers and Sis
tiers might have enough TO cat. The
ties which bound Mary the mother to
her eldest son were very sacred. Side
by side they must have struggled to
rear those children. Side by side they
must have stood by the husbands
grave. Side by side they must have
drunk deep out Of the chalice filled
with their bitter tears. Christ was
nurtured and cared for during his years
Of infancy because Joseph the car
penter stood by his manger Christ
was better fitted for his life work of
sympathy because the children of that
same Joseph were thrown upon Jesus
young shoulders to support.
The Influence Of . Good Man.
Thus the influence Of n good man
lives on after he has passed away. The
noble life Of some dear one may have
stimulated you to deeds Of nObleness
while he was yet with you. Let its
power abide with you now that he 10
gone, making you useful to those
around you and to the Master also
This truth must have been a difficult
one for Mary to learn. 1t Is, in all
proba bility, difficult one for you to
learn also. When the next Christmas
holiday comes there may be vacant
chair Mt your table. There will be the
silence which comes from the absence
of voice you would like to hear. There
will be many hand clasps and many
MERRY Christmases" sung out, but
there will be one hand clasp you will
not feel and one Merry Christmas"
you Will not hear again on earth. But,
believe me. II my Interpretation Of this
character Of Joseph is true, even in the
death. or, rather, in the resurrection
and the redemption Of your dear ones.
you will yet find that Gods ways are
the best ways, although we may not
now be able to understand that all
things are working together for good to
them that love God. Remember that
Joseph the carpenter dead was as much
essential to Christ's filial service as
Joseph the carpenter was when alive.
And So my brother. when you look
Mt the different pictures commemora-
tive Of the Nativity do not want you
to spend all your time watching Mary.
or the infant Christ, or the shepherds,
or the cattle, or the sheep, or the
horses. or the wise men. want you,
at least for little while to watch the
swarthy features of the noble mechanic
who stood by the manger as the hus-
band Of Mary. He was Christ's de-
fender from SANDER prenatal. He was
Christ's caretaker in Bethlehem. He
was part Of Christ's existence in the
Egyptian exile. He was Christ's pro.
tector in Nazareth. And as you watch
the face Of this noble carpenter may
you be able to say. 20 God. II It Ia
not thy will to mDke me Moses or q
Joshua or Caleb or David or q
Paul or John let me he true and a
faithful Joseph Of Bethlehem. Joseph OF
Nazareth and Joseph tho husband Of
Mary. Of whom Jesus was born" Sucb
at least is my desire when look upon
the rough face and the calous hands
Of Joseph the carpenter.
copyright. 1906. by Louis Klopschl