Ann H LeFevre
  • Home
  • Ready for the Road Ahead
  • Images & Ink
  • Recommended Resources
  • About
  • Store
  • Behind the PIcture

Root Town

11/11/2017

0 Comments

 
            I grew up in Caldwell, New Jersey.  At the time it was a typical suburban town with tree-lined streets, several schools, a local diner, a beautiful park and plenty of churches.  Caldwell had a somewhat small presidential claim to fame that is still a source of community pride and that was in a little tiny house, near the center of town, the 22nd (and 24th) president of the United States, Grover Cleveland, was born.  Cleveland only lived in Caldwell for 4 years but to this day Caldwell enjoys its presidential association and the house is still toured by school children each year.
            Nazareth could be the Biblical counterpart to Caldwell although Jesus, its prestigious resident, had nothing to do with presidents and was actually born miles away thanks to a census which compelled His parents to take a temporary leave from their hometown.  Matthew records that Joseph and Mary eventually returned to Nazareth (Mt. 2:23; Lk. 2:39, 51-52) and Jesus grew up there (Lk. 4:16) giving Him the name, Jesus of Nazareth (Mt. 21:11; Mk. 10:47; Jn. 18:5,7; Acts 2:22; 3:6; 10:38).  Neal May wrote, “It was only the fact that Jesus spent the early years of His life in Nazareth that gives the town its status of interest.  Aside from this, it is only mentioned once in Scripture…  The one time it is addressed, aside from the fact that it served as Jesus’ hometown, it is addressed with a noticeably sarcastic tone (Jn. 1:45-46).”  It is not really clear from Scripture why Nazareth was viewed with such disdain in Jesus’ day, but by the time of Constantine (A. D. 324-37) it had become a revered site in Christendom so much so that when Joseph of Tiberius appealed to the emperor for funds to build a church there it was granted.
            So why is Nazareth such a big deal and why do the Gospel writers make a point in telling us Jesus’ association with it?  The answer begins with Isaiah who wrote, “A shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Is. 11:1).  Nazareth and the shoot of Is. 11:1 share the same Hebrew root word- and that’s what it means, root!  A netzor is a unique botanical term.  Have you ever seen a gardener trim a bush down to the ground in the Fall and thought, “That’s the end of that bush!” only to see it send up shoots in the Spring?  That’s a netzor.  The plant appears to be dead and suddenly life springs up from its roots.  Nazareth is “Root Town” as my one professor used to say.  But Who is this Root that Isaiah speaks of?  He is a descendant of Jesse according to the prophet and our first thought is that it might be Jesse’s most famous son, David.  But like that flattened bush, David’s descendants all but disappeared when the Southern Kingdom of Judah was carried off into exile (2 Ki. 25:8-21).  However all that changed when an angel appeared to a young woman in Nazareth whose lineage was in the line of David (Lk. 1:26-35; although not mentioned by name, this is Mary’s lineage- compare Mt. 1:1-16 which is Joseph’s) and announced to her that she would bear God’s Son (Lk. 1:26-35).  Likewise, when Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb after His crucifixion, His life appeared to be cut short as well.  But we all know what happened after that (Jn, 20)!
            It appears that when Jesus began His ministry He was not accepted in Nazareth (Lk. 4:16-24).  Perhaps it was due to the familiarity of watching Him grow up but Bible historians have noted that Nazarites had the expectation that the Messiah would come from their midst.  So their disbelief resulted in Jesus’ departure (Mt. 13:53-58).  However by the time that Paul was brought up on charges of insurrection before the Roman governor Felix, Jesus’ followers had become known as “Nazarenes” (Acts 24:1-5).  In spite of His rejection by the people of Nazareth, it is this town Pilate associates with Jesus upon His death (Jn. 19:19-22).  And while its place in Christendom was slow to catch on, today it is visited continuously by Christians from all over the world.
            It has become fashionable to trace one’s roots these days.  Some methods, like DNA testing, make it fairly easy to find out “where you come from”.   But while our genetic make-up can be interesting and revealing the Bible is not really concerned about our genealogical roots.  Rather it is concerned about where our roots take hold.  Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus (a city many miles from “Root Town”!) that it was his prayer for them to be “rooted and grounded in love” (Eph. 3:17).  The source of that love is Christ’s love which is almost beyond understanding (vv. 18-19).  While there are a number of benefits to knowing your family’s roots, knowing the love of Christ and connecting your roots to Him (like a tree which sends its roots down to a subterranean water source) has eternal benefits (Ps. 1:1-3; Jn. 4:13-14; 7:37-38; 15:5).  Your physical roots may be from Hometown, USA or the country where you live, but where are your spiritual roots?  Be sure they are connected to The Netzor.  His family tree is everlasting.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.  
Week of  11/12/2017

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Faith & Seeing

    Ready for the Road Ahead began as a bulletin insert in 2010 and has since grown into a weekly on-line Bible lesson.  I love to teach and have taught in both church and school settings.  I hope these articles will both encourage and equip you as you follow Christ.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn

Proudly powered by Weebly