"Tzippori"

I looked and I looked but Tzippori is not mentioned in the Bible at all that I could find. We went to Tzippori after our stop at Mt. Carmel on our way to the Sea of Galilee. Tzippori is actually an amazing place to consider. It is located about 3-4 miles from Nazareth as the crow flies, it was the largest town in the Galilee area during Jesus’ time with probably 21,000 inhabitants and boasted among other things a very nice amphitheater.

We toured a first century house that is known for its’ elaborate floor mosaics. Indeed the floors of at least two large rooms were covered in beautiful mosaics; one room better preserved than the other. In this better preserved mosaic are many intricate designs and one is known as the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee”. Google Tzippori and that is one of the first things you will see. This kind of mosaic work suggested to modern researchers that Tzippori was a city with at least one very wealthy neighborhood, and perhaps entirely wealthy. Their wealth came from, among other reasons, being on one of the major trade routes from Syria on beyond.
In this setting of mosaics and fancy ruins Yoni our guide explained that “carpenter” is a mistranslation. That Jesus and Joseph were builders, including stone masons, is probably more accurate. In Galilee, stones and rock were the main building ingredients and wood was used for furniture, etc.

What if Jesus worked in houses that were opulent, what if Jesus saw that his customers weren’t made happy by the latest mosaic design brought in from Rome, what if Jesus saw locals go into debt, cheat or steal to preserve a lifestyle? What if his heart broke when He saw the contrast between the designs of His Father and the reality of people in Tzippori? What if He wanted to preach, work miracles and show these gentiles that God was real…only to hear God say: “First to the Jew then to the Gentile my Son”? What if Tzippori and all that it WAS NOT, in kingdom value is why Jesus said more about money than any other topic?

I don’t know if Jesus had these thoughts while He worked in Tzippori, but He certainly has me asking me some very big questions about my lifestyle RIGHT NOW. I do know one thing: I don’t want to be known for my lifestyle; good or bad, but for my life in Him.