The first place they stopped was Nazareth’s public well.
It was deep, and to draw water you had to walk down a few stone steps. To fill two large water jars, they had to go back and forth many times.
“Listen,” Grandfather Jonathan said. “We come here every other day. From now on, this will be your job. Don’t worry about the women chatting. Carrying water is fine, honest work. A blacksmith lives by clean water.”
Luke filled a goatskin bucket with water again and again and carried it up the steps. It was harder than he had expected. The women lifted heavy jars onto their heads and walked away as if they weighed nothing. Luke did not want to complain. He wanted to be strong.
At last the jars were full. Without much rest, they headed to the carpenter’s house nearby.
“I’ll talk with Joseph. You wait here and rest a little,” Jonathan said, disappearing inside.
The carpenter’s house was small, about the same size as Luke’s grandfather’s house. But the workshop building beside it was larger. Inside were many kinds of wood stacked neatly. There were handcarts and donkey carts too.
Two little girls were playing outside. When they saw Luke, they looked at each other and giggled. They must have been sisters.
The younger one, nudged by her sister, walked up to him.
“Do you like singing?” she asked.
“Yes, I do. I don’t know many songs from this country yet, though.”
She ran back to whisper something to her sister.
This time, the older sister came over.
“Um… how old are you?” she asked.
“I’ll be twelve soon. How about you?”
The older girl turned as if to go back, but Luke quickly asked, “What about you?”
She stopped, puffed up her cheeks as if offended, and said in a very grown-up voice, “You mustn’t ask a lady her age!” Then she burst out laughing and ran away.
Just then, Grandfather came out with a man.
The man smiled at Luke and spoke in Greek.
“My name is Joseph… haha, yes, I’m Jesus’ father. Your grandfather helps me often with work. He’s like family to us. You’ve already met Jesus, haven’t you? He’s a bit unusual, but I think he’ll become a good friend to you. Luke, is it? That’s a fine name. I hear your father passed away. I’m sorry. I’m about the same age your father would have been, so if there’s anything you find hard to tell your mother, you can talk to me. Though most things this Jonathan fellow will teach you! He’s a strict old man—if he makes you cry, come running to our house! Haha! And if you have questions about the Scriptures or about God, ask Jesus. That boy seems to know everything. Haha!”
Joseph seemed friendly and warm. Luke liked him right away.
After loading the cart with more wood chips and sawdust than seemed possible to carry, Jonathan and Luke headed home.
The summer sun was still high in the sky. Jonathan walked quietly, leading the donkey. Luke followed behind the cart.
The light in this foreign land felt different from the seaside town he had known. Even the color of the sky seemed different. Surrounded by mountains, Nazareth felt almost unreal.
This day was so different from life in Troas, Luke thought.
What will happen next? What is waiting for me here, in the land of my mother’s God?
And with that quiet wondering in his heart, Luke walked on.