How was Jesus' experience of being a refugee or being from a refugee family important in shaping his consciousness and mission?

As a refugee, Jesus would have grown up with hardships. Being from a distant land, and speaking a different language, Jesus and his family were probably not accepted by the locals and therefore socially outcasted. Because of this, Jesus and Joseph most likely had a hard time finding work and fitting in. Earning little money in addition to leaving home in a rush and with few possessions and money, the family was poor. But being outsiders probably gave Jesus the opportunity to mingle with different kinds of people. Jesus was obviously a friendly guy and so he probably befriended many and exchanged ideas, experiences and hardships with them. This aspect of his time as a refugee gave him a respect for those who were poor, outcasted, and helpless.

Mary and Joseph as refugees and His teachers had an effect on Jesus. Jesus undoubtedly asked why they were different and. His parents would have often times told Him about Herod and the kind of horrible man he was. He heard how he placed unfair taxes on the extreme poor in order to maintain personal wealth for himself and Caesar, how he killed his own family because of their contempt for him, and maybe even how he ordered all children under the age of two in the land to be killed. His parents also taught Him about God, and his nature. It is my belief, as established in earlier assignments, that Mary was chosen because she had a different and more accurate perception of God. Mary would have taught Jesus this, especially emphasizing her points made in her speech to Elizabeth about the rich not being the powerful. This aspect of Jesus time as a refugee would have inspired a sense of rebellion within him to right the wrongs of society and maybe even to teach about God’s nature.