This is the second time Nazareth has been highlighted in this Lenten series. There are a handful of places repeatedly mentioned in connection with Jesus' life and ministry: Nazareth (where he grew up), Capernaum (the center of his Galilean ministry), Jericho (which he visited more than once), Bethany (where he loved to stay with his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus), Jerusalem (the center of Jewish life), and the temple itself (the center of Jewish worship).

In this case we are looking at Nazareth as Jesus' boyhood home. Nazareth was indeed an obscure village. Recently archeologists have discovered the remains of a home in Nazareth from the time of Jesus. Nazareth itself was evidently "a small hamlet with about 50 houses populated by poor Jews."

One of those poor Jews was a carpenter named Joseph. He made his living with his hands, using tools like an ax, a chisel, and a saw. Most likely he was poor all his life. This means Jesus grew up in a blue collar home. He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. No doubt Joseph taught Jesus how to spot a good piece of wood, how to measure it properly, and how to make a good cut. I'm sure Jesus spent many hours learning at his father's side. He knew what it was like to be raised in a poor family. It prepared him for later years when his message would spread like wildfire among the common people of Israel. They loved him because he was one of them.

But his neighbors had no use for him.

They had him in the "Nazareth box," but he wouldn't stay there.

The final tragedy is to know Jesus so well that you don't know him at all. We must not make that mistake or we will be as guilty as the people of Nazareth who did not know they lived next door to the Savior of the world.