Matthew 4:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why does He depart once more? To instruct us not to confront temptations on our own, but rather to retreat and avoid them. One is not at fault for steering clear of peril; instead, it is the one who lacks bravery in the midst of danger who bears the blame. Christ’s withdrawal to Capernaum serves this purpose, addressing the animosity of the Jewish leaders while simultaneously fulfilling prophecy. Like a fisherman eager to draw in the teachers of the divine, He moves to that city where they resided, engaged in their craft. Notice how Christ, whenever He intends to reach out to the Gentiles, draws His motivations from the actions of the Jews. In this instance, the Jews, having conspired against the Forerunner and imprisoned him, compel Jesus to enter into the realm of Gentile Galilee.

Christ left, not because of fear, but to guide us in how to turn away from those who persecute us. His movement from Judea to the Gentiles illustrates that He turns away from the Jewish people, not only when they transgress against God directly but also when they sin against the holy prophets.

Upon learning of Herod the tetrarch's imprisonment of him, as he later mentions, he withdrew, illustrating the importance of steering clear of temptation. The issue lies not in encountering peril, but rather in failing to stand resolute when faced with it. He journeyed to Galilee so that, firstly, the prophecy regarding it could be fulfilled, as will be detailed, and secondly, that the fishermen—namely the apostles residing there—might be gathered. Consequently, the angels, after Christ's ascension into glory, referred to them as Galileans, asking, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven?’ (Acts 1:11).

Who is the source of this? It undoubtedly comes from God. No one can harm a righteous person unless God permits it. A sinner might have an impact on another sinner, as God shows little regard for the sinner, but certainly, a righteous person is beyond harm, for the Lord serves as a refuge for all who place their faith in Him, as stated in Psalm 17:31. Furthermore, it is written, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father's will," emphasizing that we, of little faith, are much more valued, for even the hairs of our heads are counted. Understanding this, the Lord withdrew not from fear of death but for two significant reasons.

John the Baptist boldly confronted Herod, the tetrarch, condemning him for taking Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, along with numerous other sins he had committed: "It is not lawful for you," John asserted, "to have your brother's wife" (Mk. 6:18). In response, Herod grew angry and compounded his sins by imprisoning John: "But Herod the tetrarch," the Evangelist notes, "was rebuked by him"—referring to John—"concerning Herodias, his brother’s wife; and he did all these things, and shut John up in prison" (Luke 3:19-20). Afterward, following the celebration of Herod's birthday, he resolved, "I will kill him" (Matthew 14:10).

It had been a considerable period since the Lord Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness. He arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration but did not remain there for long. He observed that the arrogant scribes and Pharisees, accompanied by the common people of Judea, were less inclined to heed His heavenly teachings than the humble souls from Galilee. Around this time, Herod the tetrarch imprisoned John the Baptist, the Lord's faithful herald.

Following John's imprisonment (John 3:23, 24), Jesus chose to depart from Judea. It had recently come to His attention that the Pharisees, His most watchful opponents, had shifted their focus entirely from John to Him due to the growing number of His followers. As a result, Jesus decided to leave Judea and journey to Galilee. The fact that John was imprisoned was unlikely to dissuade Him from this decision, as it stemmed from specific circumstances. Herod had either been unaware of Jesus or had yet to take notice of Him. Thus, Jesus, along with His disciples, embarked on the journey to Galilee, passing through Samaria. A devout Israelite would normally have avoided this region, opting instead to travel through Perea, east of the Jordan River, but the Lord was always unconcerned with such superstitious customs.

When examining the accounts of all the Gospel writers regarding Christ's return to Galilee, we observe several distinct perspectives. The Gospel of Mark only mentions the incident that prompted Christ to leave Judea for Galilee—specifically, the imprisonment of John the Baptist. In contrast, Matthew provides insight into the reason for this relocation, while John elaborates on how this event relates to the identity of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees, likely involved in the schemes leading to the Baptist’s imprisonment through their influence in Herod's court, were unsettled by the growing success of Christ’s ministry. Understanding their intentions to do to Him what Herod had done to John, the Lord chose to withdraw from Judea, where the Pharisees exerted significant power.

John was arrested, and the Pharisees celebrated, convinced that the threat posed by the prophet from the Jordan had been resolved. However, they soon learned with great concern that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had rejected as the Messiah, was baptizing and attracting even more followers than John. This prompted them to focus all their schemes solely on Jesus. Aware of their intentions and knowing that His time of suffering had not yet arrived, Christ chose to retreat to Galilee. Although He had the divine authority to defend Himself against the Pharisees, as previously mentioned, He reserved that divine power for the salvation of others rather than for His own escape as a human.

Not long after John offered his testimony, he faced persecution from the Pharisees, who accused him before Herod Antipas, resulting in his imprisonment. He endured this confinement until his eventual demise, yet he managed to maintain communication with his former disciples and persist in his support of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees were not content with their success; upon learning that the new teacher was drawing even larger crowds than John, they were willing to resort to violence against Him. However, since His time had not yet arrived, He left Judea to continue His work among the more open-hearted people in Galilee. The most straightforward route from Judea to Galilee went through Samaria.

Upon hearing of John's arrest, see Matt. 14:1-13. This occurred a considerable time after the temptation. The Evangelist here leaves out the incidents chronicled by John in chapters 2, 3, and 4 (up to verse 45). However, some of these occurrences will be mentioned later, as we will explore. He transitioned to Galilee from Judea, where He had gone for the Passover festival (cf. Jn. 2:13-4:45). For further information about Galilee, refer to the note on Matthew 2:22.

The ministry of John the Baptist, which drew a substantial following, had caught the attention of the Pharisees. When they learned that Jesus Christ was attracting even more disciples than John, their scrutiny intensified. Following John's imprisonment, they shifted their focus entirely to the new Teacher, whom John had identified as the One coming after him. The Lord was confident in His mission and did not seek confrontation, knowing that His appointed time had not yet arrived (John 7:30). St. John Chrysostom comments that although the Lord possessed the strength to control His adversaries, He chose not to, so as not to leave them in doubt about the truth of His Incarnation.