Whether Christ Should Have Been Born in Bethlehem?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should not have been born in
Bethlehem. For it is written (Isa. 2:3): "The law shall come forth
from Sion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." But Christ is
truly the Word of God. Therefore He should have come into the world
at Jerusalem.
Obj. 2: Further, it is said (Matt. 2:23) that it is written of Christ
that "He shall be called a Nazarene"; which is taken from Isa. 11:1:
"A flower shall rise up out of his root"; for "Nazareth" is
interpreted "a flower." But a man is named especially from the place
of his birth. Therefore it seems that He should have been born in
Nazareth, where also He was conceived and brought up.
Obj. 3: Further, for this was our Lord born into the world, that He
might make known the true faith, according to John 18:37: "For this
was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give
testimony to the truth." But this would have been easier if He had
been born in the city of Rome, which at that time ruled the world;
whence Paul, writing to the Romans (1:8) says: "Your faith is spoken
of in the whole world." Therefore it seems that He should not have
been born in Bethlehem.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Mic. 5:2): "And thou, Bethlehem,
Ephrata . . . out of thee shall He come forth unto Me, that is to be
the ruler in Israel."
_I answer that,_ Christ willed to be born in Bethlehem for two
reasons. First, because "He was made . . . of the seed of David
according to the flesh," as it is written (Rom. 1:3); to whom also
was a special promise made concerning Christ; according to 2 Kings
23:1: "The man to whom it was appointed concerning the Christ of the
God of Jacob . . . said." Therefore He willed to be born at
Bethlehem, where David was born, in order that by the very birthplace
the promise made to David might be shown to be fulfilled. The
Evangelist points this out by saying: "Because He was of the house
and of the family of David." Secondly, because, as Gregory says (Hom.
viii in Evang.): "Bethlehem is interpreted 'the house of bread.' It
is Christ Himself who said, 'I am the living Bread which came down
from heaven.'"
Reply Obj. 1: As David was born in Bethlehem, so also did he choose
Jerusalem to set up his throne there, and to build there the Temple
of God, so that Jerusalem was at the same time a royal and a priestly
city. Now, Christ's priesthood and kingdom were "consummated"
principally in His Passion. Therefore it was becoming that He should
choose Bethlehem for His Birthplace and Jerusalem for the scene of
His Passion.
At the same time, too, He put to silence the vain boasting of men who
take pride in being born in great cities, where also they desire
especially to receive honor. Christ, on the contrary, willed to be
born in a mean city, and to suffer reproach in a great city.
Reply Obj. 2: Christ wished "to flower" by His holy life, not in His
carnal birth. Therefore He wished to be fostered and brought up at
Nazareth. But He wished to be born at Bethlehem away from home;
because, as Gregory says (Hom. viii in Evang.), through the human
nature which He had taken, He was born, as it were, in a foreign
place--foreign not to His power, but to His Nature. And, again, as
Bede says on Luke 2:7: "In order that He who found no room at the inn
might prepare many mansions for us in His Father's house."
Reply Obj. 3: According to a sermon in the Council of Ephesus [*P.
iii, cap. ix]: "If He had chosen the great city of Rome, the change
in the world would be ascribed to the influence of her citizens. If
He had been the son of the Emperor, His benefits would have been
attributed to the latter's power. But that we might acknowledge the
work of God in the transformation of the whole earth, He chose a poor
mother and a birthplace poorer still."
"But the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that He may
confound the strong" (1 Cor. 1:27). And therefore, in order the more
to show His power, He set up the head of His Church in Rome itself,
which was the head of the world, in sign of His complete victory,
in order that from that city the faith might spread throughout the
world; according to Isa. 26:5, 6: "The high city He shall lay
low . . . the feet of the poor," i.e. of Christ, "shall tread it
down; the steps of the needy," i.e. of the apostles Peter and Paul.
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