The Gospel of Matthew
Act 2: Escape and Massacre, Mt 2,13-23
Scene 1: Escape to Egypt
Matthew provides continuity between verses 12 and 13 by referring again to the departure of the magi.
Israel's earlier sojourn in Egypt ended with their persecution by Pharoah as described in the book of Exodus. Moses escaped from Pharoah's threats to destroy him (Ex 2,15). Jesus is threatened with the same fate as Moses and he is also sharing all the experiences of his people.
Thus the quotation refers in Hosea to the whole people of Israel. Here it has become specific in one person, the child Jesus. That he is now called "my son" takes a step further and makes explicit the Emmanuel quotation from Isaiah in 1,23.
Scene 2: Massacre in Bethlehem, 2,16-18
In verse 16, Herod's estimate of the age of the boys to be killed arose from his enquiry of the magi in verse 7. His actions recall the order of Pharoah to kill the Hebrew boys (Exodus 1,15-22).
Verse 17 is careful not to make God responsible for the fulfillment of the quotation. Both 1,22 and 2,15 say "by the Lord".
Like Jeremiah, Jesus is an innocent sufferer.
The quotation however comes from a chapter in Jeremiah which is full of hope with oracles of return and the new covenant (Jer 31,31).
Scene 3: From Egypt to Nazareth, 2,19-23.
The angel appears in verse 19 as in verse 13 but with the reverse message, telling Joseph to take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel. This is more general than the earlier "Bethlehem of Judah"; the final desination is about to be clarified.
Galilee was ruled by Archelaus' brother Herod Antipas but Herod appears to have been the better ruler. The initiative taken in verse 22 is however that of Joseph, a human initiative based on fear.
Matthew has therefore got Jesus to Nazareth. He needs to conclude his presentation with a scripture fulfillment as usual. He can only do so by a vague reference to "the prophets".
The plot of this chapter's story therefore ends with Herod dead and Jesus the rival King of the Jews alive and safe. Matthew has also got his hero from Bethlehem the place of birth to Nazareth the place where he grew up. In between, Jesus has shared in the exodus experiences of his people. He is the son called out of Egypt (2,15)
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