HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:23
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
John 1:26
2:23 “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Nazareth, an obscure town 70 mi. N of Jerusalem, was a place of lowly reputation, and nowhere mentioned in the OT. Some have suggested that “Nazarene” is a reference to the Heb. word for branch in Is. 11:1. Others point out that Matthew’s statement that “prophets” had made this prediction may be a reference to verbal prophecies nowhere recorded in the OT. A still more likely explanation is that Matthew is using “Nazarene” as a synonym for someone who is despised or detestable—for that was how people from the region were often characterized (cf. John 1:46). If that is the case, the prophecies Matthew has in mind would include Ps. 22:6–8; Is. 49:7; 53:3.
MacArthur Study Bible (note on Matthew 2:23)
When the Lord told Joseph and Mary to come back from Egypt where they had fled due to Herod’s plan to murder all the boys up to two years of age in Bethlehem, they set their course for the town where they had met and married—Nazareth. Matthew’s gospel notes that prophets had foretold that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. By the time of Jesus, Nazarene was synonymous with despised or detestable. Apparently, the people from that city had a horrible reputation. This is why Nathanael questioned whether the Messiah could truly be from Nazareth. Jesus was so identified with Nazareth that people did not realize He was born in Bethlehem as evidenced in chapter seven of John’s gospel.
Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
John 7:41-42 (BSB)
Have you ever experienced discrimination because of the place you grew up or currently live? Or perhaps due to your ethnicity or color? Or in Susan’s case, her cerebral palsied earth-suit? Our Lord experienced discrimination as well. The word tells us that God doesn’t look at those things about us. Passages such as James 2, Romans 12:9-21, and 1 Peter chapter 3 speak about God’s impartiality and how we are to treat one another with non-judgmental love. Avoid discriminating against others by remembering how God looks at them and at you: “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b NASB).
Father, help us see others with Your eyes of love and compassion. Give us the discernment to see past the outward shell and get to know the hearts of people.