We are but at the end of chapter 2, and Matthew has made use of much of the Old Testament prophets. So who is he quoting in 2:23 when he writes, “So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene””? It isn’t Isaiah, or Hosea, or Micah or Jeremiah – all of whom he’s quoted before. Nor is it Ezekiel, or Daniel or Zephaniah. Actually, it is none of the known prophets. In fact, if you do a word search, the idea of Nazareth does not come up until this point in the whole of the Scripture preceding it. This fact alone tells us that what Matthew is saying the prophets referred to is not Jesus’ geographic hometown, but an idea associated with the place.
Well respected Biblical scholar DA Carson puts it this way, “Nazareth was a despised place (John 7:42, 52), even to other Galileans (cf. John 1:46). Here Jesus grew up, not as “Jesus the Bethlehemite,” with its Davidic overtones, but as “Jesus the Nazarene,” with all the opprobrium of the sneer. When Christians were referred to in Acts as the “Nazarene sect” (24:5), the expression was meant to hurt. First-century Christian readers of Matthew, who had tasted their share of scorn, would have quickly caught Matthew’s point. He is not saying that a particular OT prophet foretold that the Messiah would live in Nazareth; he is saying that the OT prophets foretold that the Messiah would be despised.”
We all have our backstory – the place and people we grew up around. For the few, their backstory is a pedigree – it speaks honour into their lives. It is a mark of privilege. For most, it means little or nothing. It is just a fact. It is as much a hindrance as an overcast day. But for some, their backstory is a hinge on which hangs much discrimination and prejudice, a weight around their necks they wish they could let go, but cannot.
God directed Joseph to pick Nazareth as the new home for his young family. In so doing, He purposed that Jesus would grow up on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ so to speak. Such would be His mark of privilege. Jesus would need to overcome inequity and bias right from the get go.
Perhaps the Lord directed Joseph to Nazareth just because it would provide the greatest contrast. For in later years, God would be so obviously upon Jesus that His birthplace would add to the wonder at all He became and did. Like the stories we so often read of ‘the child who overcame the obstacles of their youth,” only far better. That would be so very fitting, because for e ach of us who follow Jesus the day will come in eternity when beings we have never met before will marvel at us, “You were born on earth before the Restoration!”
A person who wholly follows the Lord is one who believes that the promises of God are trustworthy, that He is with His people, and that they are well able to overcome.
Watchman Nee
APPLICATION: Worship
We are destined to overcome, chosen to overcome, called to overcome, equipped to overcome and blessed with His Spirit to overcome. We shall overcome. Glory to God.