After a series of increasingly dramatic miracles that demonstrate Jesus’ power and authority over the forces of evil, the forces of nature, and even the forces of death itself, Mark’s text now abruptly changes pace and perspective. Having traveled back and forth across the Sea of Galilee a couple of times, Jesus and his disciples leave the shoreline scene and undertake a significant side trip to Nazareth, some twenty-five miles to the south. The journey might have been quite a jaunt, but the destination was far from distinguished. Nazareth was a small, obscure, unimportant village with a population of a few hundred, mostly related residents. Outside of the New Testament references to it as Jesus’ “hometown,” the Nazareth community has no references in any religious or historical writings t…