The Bible readings in Matthew 2:23 started me searching for the prophecy “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Where was the prophecy to be found?
Strong’s Concordance listed only one other reference to “Nazarene” in Acts 24:5 where Paul was called “A ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Followers of Christ were thus being called Nazarenes. But where in the Old Testament was Christ called a Nazarene and what was its meaning?
Old Testament background
Unger’s Bible Dictionary provided some answers. The Hebrew word for Nazarene comes from the root word “netzer” which means “branch.” Christ was called the “branch” which came out of the root of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1. Unger states Nazarene is connected with Nazareth, which means “despised one.” Although Christ is not commonly called a Nazarene in scripture, he certainly “was despised and rejected of men.”
Nazareth a place of low regard
The area of Galilee was poor and historically held in low esteem. In Isaiah 9:1-2, the prophet depicts the land as “Galilee of the nations…the land of the shadow of death…” When Solomon gave the king of Tyre 20 cities in Galilee as a gift, the Tyrian king was disappointed and called the land Cabul (dirty).
In John 1:46 Nathanael comments: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip had just told Nathaniel: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth.” Nathanael went with Philip to see the Lord for himself and there followed a little miracle which left Nathanael in no doubt as to the identity of the Lord. Apparently while sitting under the fig tree, Nathanael had been reading the passage about Jacob who had practiced guile in the deception of his father Isaac. When Jesus greeted Nathanael, he proclaimed, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Jesus was comparing Jacob the guileful with Nathanael the guileless. This knowledge of the Lord instantly convinced Nathanael and he enthusiastically declared, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”
Nazareth too lowly to Pharisees
Men tend to look on the outward appearance. We tend to judge people by the way they look, by what they have, by their lineage, by where they live and so on. The elite Jews had trouble accepting Jesus as Messiah because he came from a wretched place, the manner of his conception was called into question and his family was poor in Israel. Certainly a king would not arise with such ignominious credentials. Truly, “He was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
The Pharisees were greatly troubled when the people of Galilee listened to Jesus’ teachings and flocked to hear him. They were so disturbed that they, too, went to the despised place to challenge his influence and popularity.
They rejected the true stone
On one occasion, Christ said for the Pharisees’ benefit, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’ Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” The Pharisees perceived it was spoken of them and sought to arrest him.
They looked down on Jesus with jealous hatred and despised him. Their attitude led them to murder the Son of God. One sin often leads to a greater sin as was so graphically illustrated by the enemies of Jesus.
We may know being despised
Have you ever felt despised or been treated with contempt? In speaking up for the Truth, you may have felt hostility or awkwardness. Have you given a soft answer and found it was taken the wrong way? Have you felt the frustration of being misjudged or the sting of a false accusation? Since we have all been victims of these experiences, we can in some small way understand what Christ bore all his days. Being despised and so often misunderstood was a grievous burden he suffered daily. Let us be keenly aware we do not inflict the same treatment on our brothers and sisters.
Pride leads to despising others
The leaders and priests of Christ’s day were so filled with their own self importance that they instinctively looked down on others. They were quick to discredit (another meaning of despise) others in order to make themselves look better.
They looked down upon publicans and sinners, some of whom were eager to recognize their own needs and seek forgiveness in Christ. But the self-righteous Pharisees were called a generation of vipers by the Lord because they wagged their venomous tongues, poisoning the minds of the people against the great Teacher.
Applying the lesson to ourselves
There may be times when we despise others and show it by passing on hurtful gossip against them. There may be times when we feel ourselves more righteous than others and forget that we, too, are lost without Christ.
Which are we? Are we lost because we think too highly of ourselves? Or are we the ones whom Christ delighted to be with, to heal and to save because they knew the true state of their being?
The woman who lovingly washed Jesus’ feet, drying them with her hair was one whom the Pharisees despised but Jesus loved. She had been forgiven much so she loved much. In our own midst, there may be those who have stumbled along the road yet who have grown to love God deeply as a result of their failure.
Meeting at the despised place
After Christ’s resurrection, he told the disciples to meet in Galilee, the despised area. He also termed his disciples “men of Galilee” on occasion. There was likely a subtle message here as he tried to remind them not to elevate themselves and to remember that not many mighty or wise after the flesh are called by God.
Our prayer should be that we seek the Lord to make us more humble and to treat our fellow brothers and sisters with respect. Let us not seek the recognition of men but let us seek to be found in that sect of the despised ones — the sect of the Nazarenes!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One