Jesus withdraws from the place where he is to avoid unnecessary disputation with the Pharisees who seek to kill him. He is not running away, so to say, “from a fight.” Rather, Matthew invokes the figure of the Ebed Yahweh, the Suffering Servant of the Lord (Is 42:1-4), who is meek and does not use force upon his enemies.

The Servant brings justice to victory by bearing the iniquity of human beings and by earning pardon for their sins, in the process bringing healing to all. In the face of opposition, Jesus continues his mission boldly, but quietly. When time comes, he will confront both religious and political powers in Jerusalem. And he tells his disciples not to fear their adversaries.

Pope Francis speaks of parrhesia, indicating courage and boldness, in witnessing to our Christian faith: “'Start again,' recover the frankness, the Christian courage to go ahead. One cannot be Christian without this boldness: if it does not come, you are not a good Christian. If you do not have courage, if to explain your position you slip and slide on ideological positions or casuistic explanations, then you lack that boldness, you lack that Christian style, the freedom to speak, to say everything. Courage.” (Homily, 18 April 2020).

The children of Israel set out from Rameses for Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, not counting the little ones. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them, besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds.

Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey. The time the children of Israel had stayed in Egypt was 430 years.

At the end of 430 years, all the hosts of the Lord left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the Lord, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the children of Israel must keep a vigil for the Lord throughout their generations.

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.

This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.