Today, I’m breaking away from my daily narratives of those who may have lived in the time when Jesus lived among them. How they lived, what they believed, how they interacted, what problems did they face – all contribute to why Jesus came when He did and how He changed the world.

The sun slowly rises in the east, as women awake from their slumber to prepare for another day.  They meet at the well early in the morning to gather the daily supply of water – water which will cleanse them and their household and with the help of some lentils and vegetables, provide a nice meal for supper. The men tend their livestock.  They fork hay into the feeding trough and begin the process of gathering fresh milk from the cows and goats.  The children stay nestled tightly in their beds for a while, but soon they also will be called upon to help with the daily chores.  They eat a small breakfast and pack a lunch to take with them as they go about their many jobs.  Those who tended the flocks of sheep, stayed with the flocks all the time – only returning home for supplies from time to time – and maybe a much-needed bath.

A spinning wheel and loom are at the center part of the home. Wool will be spun into cloth which will keep them all warm during the colder weather.  Fresh bread is already baking in the oven. The smells of morning are everywhere.  Even in a town of such insignificance, life goes on.

The town of Nazareth was in the province of Galilee and held no more than 2000 people.  Its only value was the fact that it was located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, so it was situated to provide overland passage to Egypt – a fair stop-over for those who were taking their wares to market. There were a few craftsmen – carpenters, cloth dyers, tailors and each had a way of exhibiting their occupation.  Carpenters would wear wood chips behind their ears.  Dyers of cloth wore colorful clothes.  Tailors would pin needles to their clothing.  None of these was worn on the Sabbath, because they didn’t work on that day.

Here in this little “nothing good ever came from it,” town, Mary and Joseph settled with her firstborn Son.  There would be more children, fathered by Joseph, but there was something different about Jesus – the perfect child.  His dad was God, Almighty. Can you imagine what His siblings thought of Him?  The boy could do nothing wrong – it wasn’t in His nature, yet He was fully human.  How could that be?  He lived as they did, yet never once sinned. Jesus was a loving son.  He worked hard.  His hands were calloused and sore from shaving wood and crafting small cooking utensils or pieces of furniture.  He played the games children played at the time – a form of hopscotch – twirling tops – board games that resembled checkers.  His real devotion was in studying the Scriptures.

His life in Nazareth was ordinary.  He ate, played, worked, slept, studied and did all the same things every other child did. There was no money for furthering an education, so they made do with what they had.  There were stories handed down from one generation to another – tales from far off lands regarding what was happening in the world – the Holy Scriptures of God, which told them what was expected of them in this life.  There was no world-wide web nor instant news. In all of it, Jesus offered exemplary behavior and respect for those in authority.

The perfect child was the “good” that came from Nazareth – the Son of God and Mary’s boy – lived an uneventful life until He began His ministry – which would change the world forever.