REFLECTIONS ON NAZARETH

Nazareth may have been an unimpressive little place--an unwalled village of maybe 200 people.
But it was a great location for growing up. The town was about the size of my home church as I was growing up. Jesus and His family lived there for about 25 years, and the culture was not as transcient as ours, so pretty much the whole town knew young Jesus, Mary's son. His teachers, His mentors, His family, His friends and peers, they all lived right here.

As I say, the location couldn't be beat. Just on the edge of town is a cliff overlooking the Jezreel Valley. I imagine that young Jesus was taken there often by His Sabbath School teacher. From that spot, He could see the entire history of the saints of old unfold before Him.

On this ridge, we are facing south. Off to the left is the Jordan River, and to the right is the Mediterranean Sea. You can practically see both bodies of water from here, the whole land is so compact and rich with the history of the saints and sinners of the ages.

Just off to the left, hiding the river, is Mt. Tabor. It is a very noticeable mound over the valley. Jesus would be Transfigured there, and the disciples would see the Kingdom come with power. Just beyond the hills behind Nazareth is Cana, and then Galilee, where Jesus would spend much of Him ministry. Ahead and over the mountain range is Jerusalem, where He would finish it all.

Swinging around just a bit is the place where Deborah rallied the people of Israel to great victory, and striaght ahead is the battlefield where Saul and the Israelites were defeated and Saul and Jonathan were killed.

Slightly to the left is also Mt. Gilboah. At its foot Gideon had the men drink from the stream, and God delivered Israel right out here with only 300 brave men. It is also the area where Jezebel died in Jezreel. Mt. Carmel is over there to the right, where Elijah bravely and miraculously withstood her prophets.

Across the valley, just over the hill is the town where Elijah brought a young man back to life. In this side of the hill is the town of Nain, where Jesus would likewise bring a young man back to life.

Megiddo is off to the right of Nain, just a bit. It has always been a crucial city, constantly fought over. Armageddon will be the final scene of a showdown between the nations and the Lord, and the armies will fill this huge valley. The Lord Almighty will win.

They say stories like that make a boy grow bold. Stories like that make a man walk straight.

Oh, and this cliff? In Luke 4, we are told that Jesus began His public ministry and all the people of Nazareth spoke well of Him. He had just turned 30, and I imagine this was to be Jesus' first sermon in the synagogue of His hometown. The entire town was there, smiling and proud of their miraculous and well-mannered (if a bit peculiar) homey. Every eye is on Him. He reads from Isaiah and says that it is fulfilled this day! Such gracious words! We are so pleased!

Then the message of Jesus takes a turn, as Jesus quotes two Old Testament stories of how God chose to bless Gentiles. There was the widow in Elijah's time, and Naaman the leper. Was Jesus saying that God chooses Gentiles? They are suddenly infuriated. He is not our little boy-turned-prophet, but a terrible heretic, worthy of death. As one, they grab Jesus and rush Him to, you guessed it, the cliff.

There, they surround the young man Jesus. His back is to the edge of the cliff as He gazes at his mentors, his teachers, his family and his friends. They look at Him, and then beyond Him to the valley of history. In my mind's eye, the crowd is awed to silence by this scene. Somehow, they cannot move to act on murdering this One who quotes stories they had told Him, even though they don't understand.

Later, when a woman is caught in adultery, Jesus would have a similar showdown with the religious leaders. One by one, they are silenced by his silence, and, while there is not repentance or resolution, at least there is a stalemate. Jesus slips through the crowd and left them.

Nazareth had been a great place to grow up. But the Prophet much eventually move on to Jerusalem to die.