Flight Into Egypt

This weekend our Gospel continues the story of the events surrounding the Lord’s birth (i.e., God’s Incarnation) as presented by the Evangelist Matthew. Matthew adds two events which are unique to his gospel, namely the Flight into Egypt and Herod’s Slaughter of the Innocents. Matthew presents Jesus as   re-enacting in His own life the career of Israel, for indeed Jesus is the new Israel.

We must remember that the name Israel, while it was latter applied to the Jewish nation, is actually the name given to Jacob during his encounter with the Angel of God at the river Jabbok. This comes from the Hebrewיִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra’el) meaning God contended. Perhaps the most important event in the history of the Jewish nation was the Exodus out of Egypt. It was the event that transformed the Jewish people into the Chosen People of God. Matthew, because He believed that Jesus was the awaited for Messiah, had to, in some manner, have Jesus relive the Exodus experience. So Matthew has the Holy Family flee to Egypt so that they might later make an Exodus from Egypt.

It is interesting to note that the children of Israel did not leave Egypt destitute. In addition to their own possessions, the terrified Egyptians had bestowed upon them gifts of gold and silver, and clothing, in an effort to hasten their departure. Thus God made His promise to Abraham, that his descendants would leave their exile with great riches, come true in every detail. This reminds us that the Holy Family would have taken the gifts of the Magi into exile.

There was in Egypt a large colony of Jews, especially at Alexandria and Heliopolis (tradition says that there is a tree there under which Mary sat and which local residents always point out to travelers). The journey on foot would take about a week from Bethlehem. But the   kernel of the incident is the typology of Jesus as the new Moses or the new Israel.

The flight into Egypt was in response to the dream that Joseph had about Herod’s desire to kill the Child Jesus because Jesus, if He was a new King of the Jews, might pose a threat to Herod’s power. The theme of the wicked king who tries to eliminate at birth possible rivals is common to folk-lore.

As one can tell, the Evangelist Matthew, as well as the early Church, firmly believed that Jesus was truly the awaited for Messiah. We believe He was that and much, much more.