What the Bible says about Jesus Using Discretion
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Could Jesus have been playing it safe? Yes! Verse 14 sets us up for that. The opposition of some of the Pharisees drove Jesus into semi-retirement for a little while. He was not seeking notoriety, and He was not about to provoke the Pharisees into a fight, so in this case, discretion was the better part of valor. The best thing to do was to leave the area and not challenge them.
John W. Ritenbaugh
A Place of Safety? (Part 2)