Nazareth, where Jesus did most of his growing up was a backwoods, poorly educated village. I imagine Jesus’ childhood and young adulthood was insignificant in many ways, just like ours. The miracle of his conception and birth was cloaked in shame and misunderstanding. The unusual star, the kingly gifts were unknown to most people and buried in memory by the few who did know. Most of the eyewitnesses to that miraculous story had been scattered; the story became a dusty fable. Given the circumstances surrounding Joseph and Mary’s frantic escape to Egypt when Jesus was a toddler, I doubt his story was widely known. I imagine the general populace of Nazareth thought him a little strange, what with his gentle, compassionate nature. Jesus was the brunt of some unkind jokes, but begrudgingly accepted in the daily fabric of village life. Every set of hands is depended on when survival is a constant factor.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount an interesting story about Jesus:
He left Nazareth to begin his public ministry, and after some time has passed, he returns. The villagers had been hearing rumors of miracles and great crowds following Jesus, but few, if any of the rumors were given much credit. The incredulity of the villagers when Jesus shows up is easy to understand: “Wait, isn’t this Jesus, whose family we know? The quiet, little-bit-strange-Jesus who grew up here? How did he get so educated?”
That Sabbath, Jesus gives a lecture in the meetinghouse. Everyone is impressed. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise, gain such ability?” But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “We’ve known him since he was a child; he’s the carpenter’s son! We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers, and all his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” They got all bent out of shape over this. The Nazareth townsfolk were so angry that they made to throw Jesus off a cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and escaped!
What an accurate map of human nature here. The villagers who had grown up with Jesus, certainly didn’t give him the time of day. There is jealously. Resentment. How could this strange boy suddenly become a superstar? He even calls himself God! They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Jesus said, “A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family.” He didn’t do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference.
Do not discredit the common. What you think as insignificant, might be the key to a miracle.
Don’t miss the ‘more’ because you refused to value what seemed ‘less’.
The people of Nazareth missed the greatest miracle of all: the Son of God walking among men, becoming one of us in order to redeem and restore humankind.
How would you have fared, had you been a resident of Nazareth 2000 years ago?
How will you value the common, insignificant, and small things of your life today? You just might uncover a miracle!