Jeremiah 11:18-20
John 7:40-52
Where you come from seems to matter a great deal in the Bible. It’s not just your town or village that is under scrutiny, but your parents too. In its best light this is about being able to trace the path of God’s promise.
The promise of the Messiah, the Anointed One, gives the people great hope. For those who anticipated a powerful political Messiah the idea that he could come from the relatively obscure town of Galilee would seem almost ridiculous. They have read the biblical sources in such a way so as not to be able to recognise Jesus as the Messiah.
We read the text with hindsight knowing only too well how things are engineered so that Jesus is actually born of David’s line and in Bethlehem. This requires two plot twists for God’s plan to be fulfilled.
Being able to see the way in which God has worked in the past can help you make sense of the present and encourage you to look to the future with hope. It isn’t always easy to see the hand of God in our own lives or to see or hear some things as prophetic. Often its only in looking back that we glimpse God.
Reflect on your faith journey. How has God been at work in your life?