The season of Advent seems like the perfect time to remind us all of this important truth: appearances are limited in their ability to tell the whole story. 

First century Palestine was a tangled web of political bullying and economic power mongering. The military of Rome and the religion of the Pharisees reigned with iron fists that opened only to snatch more money from the overtaxed Jews. The gods of power and wealth and position were worshipped by a corrupt government that demanded total allegiance from the oppressed.