Watch Betty Bowers Brand Jesus “History’s Biggest Freeloader” (VIDEO)

Watch Betty Bowers Brand Jesus “History’s Biggest Freeloader” (VIDEO)

Posted by: Richard Rowe
in Human Interest, Humor, Religion,
Videos December 2, 2013

In her latest video, Betty Bowers, who calls herself “America’s Best Christian,” gives her take on history’s most famous Jewish carpenter. She’s pretty brutal about it, too… maybe a bit too brutal. Betty criticizes the Savior as a lazy slacker, who did little as a carpenter in life and has done even less since then. But, Betty, that might just be a case of misunderstanding on our part.

Let’s put this “slacker” into the proper perspective. Jesus wasn’t a “carpenter” or “woodworker” as we think of one today; he was a “tekton,” or “builder.” For the moment, we’ll set aside the fact that wood was scarce in Judea at the time, and mud, brick and stone were the primary building materials – which would technically make Jesus a “mason,” if anything. Read into that what you will.

No, the more relevant thing here is that contextually, “tekton” refers more to a general contractor, a person who “causes things to be built.” Today, we might call Jesus an “engineer,” or a “foreman.” that’s a pretty far cry from the humble “wood-worker” that we might envision pounding nails and sanding end tables.

As has been said about foremen from time immemorial: “Why doesn’t Jesus ever seem to lift a finger?” “He does it all the time… To point at stuff.”