It sounded ridiculous to Nathaniel when he heard that the Saviour had risen out of Nazareth. “Can there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?” he asked. Is there a way to explain the dismissive attitude of Nathanael? A guess or two would be in order. To begin with, Nazareth was a part of the greater Galilee region. It probably had a great population of non-Jewish settlers as there was a reference to “Galilee of the Gentiles”. In John 7:52, the officers of the high priest and the Pharisees contested that Nazareth had never produced a prophet. This could have been another reason why it was dismissed. It could not boast of any rich prophetic history. Finally, when Peter and John were arraigned before the elders, they saw them as uneducated, ignorant men. Certainly, Nazareth could not pass for a center of learning.

“Sometimes, behind our frailty is tucked God’s priceless heritage…Look beyond your limitations; fix your gaze on God who is able to bring the best out of the worst situations of life.”

Yet it pleased God that a city treated with so much disdain would be the cynosure of all eyes when it became the base for the Saviour of the world. The presence of Jesus made an otherwise insignificant region the envy of the world. Till this present moment, tourists from all over the world beat the path to Israel. Of course, Nazareth is one of the choice destinations for any visitor to Israel. Sometimes, behind our frailty is tucked God’s priceless heritage. You may be disregarded now; you may have even been written off. But never forget that God delights in raising the poor out of the dunghill. Look beyond your limitations; fix your gaze on God who is able to bring the best out of the worst situations of life.