Whether Christ's Birth Should Have Been Made Known to Some?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's birth should not have been
made known to anyone. For, as stated above (A. 1, ad 3), it befitted
the salvation of mankind that Christ's first coming should be hidden.
But Christ came to save all; according to 1 Tim. 4:10: "Who is the
Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful." Therefore Christ's
birth should not have been made known to anyone.
Obj. 2: Further, before Christ was born, His future birth was made
known to the Blessed Virgin and Joseph. Therefore it was not
necessary that it should be made known to others after His birth.
Obj. 3: Further, no wise man makes known that from which arise
disturbance and harm to others. But, when Christ's birth was made
known, disturbance arose: for it is written (Matt. 2:3) that "King
Herod, hearing" of Christ's birth, "was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with him." Moreover, this brought harm to others; because it was the
occasion of Herod's killing "all the male children that were in
Bethlehem . . . from two years old and under." Therefore it seems
unfitting for Christ's birth to have been made known to anyone.
_On the contrary,_ Christ's birth would have been profitable to none
if it had been hidden from all. But it behooved Christ's birth to be
profitable: else He were born in vain. Therefore it seems that
Christ's birth should have been made known to some.
_I answer that,_ As the Apostle says (Rom. 13:1) "what is of God is
well ordered." Now it belongs to the order of Divine wisdom that
God's gifts and the secrets of His wisdom are not bestowed on all
equally, but to some immediately, through whom they are made known to
others. Wherefore, with regard to the mystery of the Resurrection it
is written (Acts 10:40, 41): "God . . . gave" Christ rising again "to
be made manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses
pre-ordained by God." Consequently, that His birth might be
consistent with this, it should have been made known, not to all, but
to some, through whom it could be made known to others.
Reply Obj. 1: As it would have been prejudicial to the salvation of
mankind if God's birth had been made known to all men, so also would
it have been if none had been informed of it. Because in either case
faith is destroyed, whether a thing be perfectly manifest, or whether
it be entirely unknown, so that no one can hear it from another; for
"faith cometh by hearing" (Rom. 10:17).
Reply Obj. 2: Mary and Joseph needed to be instructed concerning
Christ's birth before He was born, because it devolved on them to
show reverence to the child conceived in the womb, and to serve Him
even before He was born. But their testimony, being of a domestic
character, would have aroused suspicion in regard to Christ's
greatness: and so it behooved it to be made known to others, whose
testimony could not be suspect.
Reply Obj. 3: The very disturbance that arose when it was known that
Christ was born was becoming to His birth. First, because thus the
heavenly dignity of Christ is made manifest. Wherefore Gregory says
(Hom. x in Evang.): "After the birth of the King of heaven, the
earthly king is troubled: doubtless because earthly grandeur is
covered with confusion when the heavenly majesty is revealed."
Secondly, thereby the judicial power of Christ was foreshadowed. Thus
Augustine says in a sermon (30 de Temp.) on the Epiphany: "What will
He be like in the judgment-seat; since from His cradle He struck
terror into the heart of a proud king?"
Thirdly, because thus the overthrow of the devil's kingdom was
foreshadowed. For, as Pope Leo says in a sermon on the Epiphany
(Serm. v [*Opus Imperfectum in Matth., Hom. ii, falsely ascribed to
St. John Chrysostom]): "Herod was not so much troubled in himself as
the devil in Herod. For Herod thought Him to be a man, but the devil
thought Him to be God. Each feared a successor to his kingdom: the
devil, a heavenly successor; Herod, an earthly successor." But their
fear was needless: since Christ had not come to set up an earthly
kingdom, as Pope Leo says, addressing himself to Herod: "Thy palace
cannot hold Christ: nor is the Lord of the world content with the
paltry power of thy scepter." That the Jews were troubled, who, on
the contrary, should have rejoiced, was either because, as Chrysostom
says, "wicked men could not rejoice at the coming of the Holy one,"
or because they wished to court favor with Herod, whom they feared;
for "the populace is inclined to favor too much those whose cruelty
it endures."
And that the children were slain by Herod was not harmful to them,
but profitable. For Augustine says in a sermon on the Epiphany (66 de
Diversis): "It cannot be questioned that Christ, who came to set man
free, rewarded those who were slain for Him; since, while hanging on
the cross, He prayed for those who were putting Him to death."
_______________________