But on stopping to camp for the night, they missed His helpful hand. They looked for Him throughout the company, but in vain. Joseph and Mary were in great fear. They remembered how Herod had tried to kill Jesus in His infancy, and they were afraid that some evil had now befallen Him. With sorrowful hearts they hastened back to Jerusalem; but it was not till the third day that they found Him. Great was their joy at seeing Him again, yet Mary thought that He was to blame for leaving them. She said:

Men da de standsede for at slå lejr for natten, savnede de hans hjælp. De søgte efter ham blandt deres rejsefæller, men fandt ham ikke. Josef og Maria blev meget ængstelige. De erindrede, hvorledes Herodes havde søgt at slå Jesus ihjel som lille, og nu frygtede de, at der var tilstødt ham en ulykke. Med sorgfulde hjerter skyndte de sig tilbage til Jerusalem. Men de fandt ham ikke før efter tre dages forløb. Stor blev deres glæde, da de så ham igen; men Maria mente, at det ikke var rigtigt af ham at forlade dem.