Matthew 2:16-23

“But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.” vs. 22

In an age when tribal connections meant everything and many people expected that the messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, David’s tribe, it was a bit of a mystery how Jesus would have been raised in the village of Nazareth in Galilee. As Nathaniel puts it indelicately in John’s gospel, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Matthew was certainly aware of such feelings and takes pains to tell how Joseph moved Mary and Jesus north when they returned from Egypt. It wasn’t strange at all. In fact, in the preceding century many people had moved from the area of Bethlehem to Galilee and they were probably all from the tribe of Judah. Joseph likely settled in Nazareth, a hamlet only three miles from the thriving city of Sepphoris, because there would be plenty of work for a carpenter there. We know what that’s like. Our families get scattered too, and it’s rare to discover people who live in the place where they were born. The good news is that as we move we can always find a new family, and that happens most often in our congregations. There it’s not our tribe that counts but our connection to Jesus. Jesus thrived in Galilee, and it’s there that his ministry caught fire.

Thought for the Day: Where have I found family as I’ve moved?