Whether Christ Himself Should Have Made His Birth Known?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should have Himself made His
birth known. For "a direct cause is always of greater power than an
indirect cause," as is stated _Phys._ viii. But Christ made His birth
known through others--for instance, to the shepherds through the
angels, and to the Magi through the star. Much more, therefore,
should He Himself have made His birth known.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Ecclus. 20:32): "Wisdom that is hid
and treasure that is not seen; what profit is there in them both?"
But Christ had, to perfection, the treasure of wisdom and grace from
the beginning of His conception. Therefore, unless He had made the
fulness of these gifts known by words and deeds, wisdom and grace
would have been given Him to no purpose. But this is unreasonable:
because "God and nature do nothing without a purpose" (De Coelo i).
Obj. 3: Further, we read in the book _De Infantia Salvatoris_ that in
His infancy Christ worked many miracles. It seems therefore that He
did Himself make His birth known.
_On the contrary,_ Pope Leo says (Serm. xxxiv) that the Magi found
the "infant Jesus in no way different from the generality of human
infants." But other infants do not make themselves known. Therefore
it was not fitting that Christ should Himself make His birth known.
_I answer that,_ Christ's birth was ordered unto man's salvation,
which is by faith. But saving faith confesses Christ's Godhead and
humanity. It behooved, therefore, Christ's birth to be made known in
such a way that the proof of His Godhead should not be prejudicial to
faith in His human nature. But this took place while Christ presented
a likeness of human weakness, and yet, by means of God's creatures,
He showed the power of the Godhead in Himself. Therefore Christ made
His birth known, not by Himself, but by means of certain other
creatures.
Reply Obj. 1: By the way of generation and movement we must of
necessity come to the imperfect before the perfect. And therefore
Christ was made known first through other creatures, and afterwards
He Himself manifested Himself perfectly.
Reply Obj. 2: Although hidden wisdom is useless, yet there is no need
for a wise man to make himself known at all times, but at a suitable
time; for it is written (Ecclus. 20:6): "There is one that holdeth
his peace because he knoweth not what to say: and there is another
that holdeth his peace, knowing the proper time." Hence the wisdom
given to Christ was not useless, because at a suitable time He
manifested Himself. And the very fact that He was hidden at a
suitable time is a sign of wisdom.
Reply Obj. 3: The book _De Infantia Salvatoris_ is apocryphal.
Moreover, Chrysostom (Hom. xxi super Joan.) says that Christ worked
no miracles before changing the water into wine, according to John
2:11: "'This beginning of miracles did Jesus.' For if He had worked
miracles at an early age, there would have been no need for anyone
else to manifest Him to the Israelites; whereas John the Baptist says
(John 1:31): 'That He may be made manifest in Israel; therefore am I
come baptizing with water.' Moreover, it was fitting that He should
not begin to work miracles at an early age. For people would have
thought the Incarnation to be unreal, and, out of sheer spite, would
have crucified Him before the proper time."
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