| Welcome, dear children. I found this box of things on a shelf in my basement. Let’s open it and see what’s in it. Oh…yes, I recognize these things. I see a measuring tape, a hand saw, a level, a hammer, some nails, an electric sander--my goodness, so many tools. Who would use these tools? Yes, a carpenter. Did you know that Jesus was a carpenter? Most likely, Joseph taught Him to carve wood into farm tools that included carts, plows, and yokes, also house items like door frames and furniture, and even kitchen utensils. |
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He probably repaired broken things around the house and things that belonged to his neighbors. In those days, carpentry work was a family affair--that means the father taught his sons the craft he himself did. And the women cooked meals for their father and brothers after a hard day’s work. Everyone, every member in the family had a part to play, a way to show love and a way to help one another. That’s what a family does.
“Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary…?" Mark 6:3a
Children, today, I want to talk about being a member of God’s Family. If you have asked Jesus to live in your heart, and you have been cleansed by His blood, you are a part--you are a member--of His family! The Bible uses a different term for God's family: “The Body of Christ”; but it means the same thing. Listen to what the Bible says,
“All members are ONE IN CHRIST…and God has placed the members IN the body just as He desired…that the members should care for each other…All members are not the same but are given different gifts to share with the Body of Christ…Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor….”
(I Corinthians 12:12-26 and Romans 12: 4-8, 10 )
To help you understand this scripture better, I'm going to tell you a story about another carpenter’s family who also worked together.
Over one hundred years ago, in a little Russian village called Sergiev Posad, just outside of Moscow, there lived a woodcarver named Vassily Zviozdochkin. He was a kind man who worked very hard to care for his large family. He carved simple furniture pieces and dishes for his wife and neighbors, and little wooden toys for his children. Some toys he set aside to sell to other villages as a way to make extra money. Over the years, some of the villagers themselves learned to carve simple toys, too, and in the years that followed, the little village became known for its fine wooden crafts and expert carpenters. In 1890, this little village created a new kind of wooden toy that became famous all over the world. It happened when Vassily heard about an art festival in Japan that included wooden toys. He was curious. Maybe he would get an idea that could help his little village prosper. He decided to travel to the city of Tokyo where the art festival was held. He saw many beautiful art pieces, but one especially grabbed his attention. It was a tiny, wooden “nesting” doll set consisting of a father, mother, and children. These dolls were different sizes and stacked inside one another.
7-piece matryoshka "Fukuruma", Japan. c. 1890
Vassily thought about his own village’s families. Most of them were poor farmers who worked together to survive. He decided to carve a set of wooden dolls that would stack inside each other. His dolls would reflect the close relationship between the father, mother, and children who worked on the farm. He also thought of the forests that surrounded his little village and knew that there were plenty of lima and birch trees for making many sets of dolls. He knew that other Russian carpenters would learn quickly how to make the dolls because they already had experience in making nesting-type wooden Easter eggs which fitted inside each other.
 
When Vassily returned to his village, he soon carved the first set of stacking dolls known today as Matryoshkas. (singular,"ma-TRYOSH-ka"; plural, "ma-TRYOSH-kee"-roll the "r", as in Spanish, as you pronounce "ma-TRYOSH-ka.") The name Matryoshka comes from Matryona, the Russian word for mother, and Vassily carved the largest doll to look like a farmer's cheerful wife. His friend, an artist named Sergey Maliutin, painted the dolls. Those first matryoshka dolls became instantly popular, and a demand for more dolls followed.
Vassily’s Original Nesting Dolls
Just as Vassily had hoped, many of the village craftsmen took on the task to learn how to make the stacking dolls. And, every member of the family was involved. The skilled craftsman used a home lathe to turn the matryoshkas while he used small tools to shape the wood until its sides were very thin (this is considered a special art called ‘matryoshka turning’). The smallest doll was made first. After all the dolls were carved out of the log, the craftsman smoothed out the wooden figures and applied a layer of glue to seal them. When they were dry, he, his wife, and some of the older children painted the dolls.
 
People all over the world wanted to buy these nesting dolls, so other villages soon took up the craft. Many wood-working groups (guilds) formed in villages across Russia, and each region developed its own favorite designs and colors for its dolls.
Now, it's time to open the TREASURE BOX! Oh-h-hhh, what a beautiful set of Nesting Dolls! There are five wooden dolls, each a size smaller so they can fit together--one inside the other. So neat and tidy. So easy to store. And, so pretty to look at. Each one, even the smallest doll is hand-painted in hues of blue, pink, and green, and outlined in gold! Ah-hhh, So beautiful! The largest doll looks just like a happy farmer’s wife, the Matryoshka, who is wearing her best apron and scarf painted with pink dog-roses all over them.
Grandma’s Treasure Box--Matryoshka Dolls
Now, let’s review today’s Scripture:
“…“All members are ONE IN CHRIST…and God has placed the members IN the body just as He desired…that the members should care for each other…All members are not the same but are given different gifts to share with the Body of Christ…Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor…
(I Corinthians 12:12-26 and Romans 12: 4-8, 10 )
Can you see how these precious dolls remind us of today’s Scripture? It says we are members of Christ’s Body--we are IN Christ, just as the stacking dolls are inside one another. Wherever Christ goes, we follow because we are IN Him. What a place of protection! What a place of Love! It is Christ’s plan that we NEVER be separated from Him. Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Oh-h, but there’s MORE! Being a member of God’s Family means we have privileges and responsibilities. God each and every one of us and gives us abilities (or gifts) that will help us to share His love and care for one another.
As followers of Christ, we are ONE family, but each one of us is working to please God and working for the good of one another. And, God has given each of us one or more gifts that are to be used to bless everyone in His family. What are some of these gifts that God has given to us? The Bible has given a list of some of them.
Some of God’s gifts are:
 prophecy: speaking God’sWord
 service: helping others
 teaching: teaching God’s Word
 exhortation: encouraging others
 giving: giving generously
 leading: with diligence
Finally,
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor…”
For example, when you see that someone’s heart is breaking with sadness, you can comfort that one with words that bring healing to his heart. Think of ways that you can be a blessing and bring joy to others.
 
To summarize,
Being a Member of God’s Family means that
*You have been washed clean of your sins by Jesus’ blood.
*You are IN Christ, and Christ is your LORD. Think about the Nesting Dolls. When they are stacked inside each other, wherever you take them, they all go together in the same direction. In the same way, wherever our Lord goes, you go because you are IN Him and He is with you and in you. He loves you and is guiding you and teaching you. What a safe and loving place to be!
*Christ is the Master Carpenter, carefully building a new YOU with a heart that loves Him and loves others, a heart that obeys Him, a heart that wants to learn the right way that pleases God.
*You are special, there is no one else like you, you are very necessary in this world and in the lives of others.
*You are part of God’s family. And, you and the other members of His family are working together, loving one another, protecting one another.
*Christ gives gifts to every member of His family, and we are to share our gifts with each other-helping, serving, teaching, and encouraging.
Dear Children, when you are a member of God’s Family, you have a responsibility to love, to serve, to follow, to obey, to honor Christ. And, that also means to love one another as well. After all, that’s what a family does, doesn’t it?. I encourage you to stay close to the Master and to love one another.
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