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Defence of his flight

12. The Lord an example of timely flight.

Wherefore also the Word Himself, being made man for our sakes, condescended to hide Himself when He was sought after, as we do: and also when He was persecuted, to flee and avoid the designs of His enemies. For it became Him, as by hunger and thirst and suffering, so also by hiding Himself and fleeing, to shew that He had taken our flesh, and was made man. Thus at the very first, as soon as He became man, when He was a little child, He Himself by His Angel commanded Joseph, ‘Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt; for Herod will seek the young Child’s life ¹.’ And when Herod was dead, we find Him withdrawing to Nazareth by reason of Archelaus his son. And when afterwards He was shewing Himself to be God, and made whole the withered hand, the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him; but when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence ². So also when He raised Lazarus from the dead, ‘from that day forth,’ says the Scripture, ‘they took counsel for to put Him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence into the country near to the wilderness ³.’ Again, when our Saviour said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am,’ ‘the Jews took up stones to cast at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple ⁴.’ And ‘going through the midst of them, He went His way,’ and ‘so passed by ⁵.’

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Apologie de Saint Athanase sur sa fuite

12.

Aussi le Verbe lui-même, quand il se fut fait homme pour nous, recherché, a voulu, comme nous, se cacher; poursuivi, il a fui et s’est soustrait aux embûches. Il fallait qu’en se cachant et en fuyant, tout aussi bien qu’en souffrant la faim, la soif et la douleur, il montrât qu’il portait notre chair et s’était fait homme. A peine s’est-il fait homme, encore enfant, il donne lui-même par son ange cet ordre à Joseph: Lève-toi, prends l’enfant et sa mère, et fuis en Egypte; car Hérode va chercher la vie de l’enfant. Après la mort d’Hérode, on le voit encore, pour échapper à son fils Archélaüs, se retirer à Nazareth. Dans la suite, lorsqu’il se montrait Dieu et guérissait la main desséchée, les Pharisiens étant sortis et prenant conseil pour le faire périr, Jésus qui connaissait leur dessein, se retira de ces lieux. Lazare est ressuscité d’entre les morts. Dès ce jour, dit l’Evangile, ils délibérèrent comment ils le feraient mourir. Aussi Jésus ne se montrait plus ouvertement parmi les Juifs et se retira dans uns contrée qui est près du désert. Avant qu’Abraham fut, dit le Sauveur, je suis. Les Juifs alors prirent des pierres pour les luι jeter; mais Jésus se cacha et sortit du temple. Ailleurs, passant au milieu d’eux, il se retire, et ainsi se dérobe.