Whether Christ's Birth Was Made Known in a Becoming Order?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's birth was made known in an
unbecoming order. For Christ's birth should have been made known to
them first who were nearest to Christ, and who longed for Him most;
according to Wis. 6:14: "She preventeth them that covet her, so that
she first showeth herself unto them." But the righteous were nearest
to Christ by faith, and longed most for His coming; whence it is
written (Luke 2:25) of Simeon that "he was just and devout, waiting
for the consolation of Israel." Therefore Christ's birth should have
been made known to Simeon before the shepherds and Magi.
Obj. 2: Further, the Magi were the "first-fruits of the Gentiles,"
who were to believe in Christ. But first the "fulness of the Gentiles
. . . come in" unto faith, and afterwards "all Israel" shall "be
saved," as is written (Rom. 11:25). Therefore Christ's birth should
have been made known to the Magi before the shepherds.
Obj. 3: Further, it is written (Matt. 2:16) that "Herod killed all
the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders
thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he
had diligently inquired from the wise men": so that it seems that the
Magi were two years in coming to Christ after His birth. It was
therefore unbecoming that Christ should be made known to the Gentiles
so long after His birth.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Dan. 2:21): "He changes time and
ages." Consequently the time of the manifestation of Christ's birth
seems to have been arranged in a suitable order.
_I answer that,_ Christ's birth was first made known to the shepherds
on the very day that He was born. For, as it is written (Luke 2:8,
15, 16): "There were in the same country shepherds watching, and
keeping the night-watches over their flock . . . And it came to pass,
after the angels departed from them into heaven they [Vulg.: 'the
shepherds'] said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem . . .
and they came with haste." Second in order were the Magi, who came to
Christ on the thirteenth day after His birth, on which day is kept
the feast of the Epiphany. For if they had come after a year, or even
two years, they would not have found Him in Bethlehem, since it is
written (Luke 2:39) that "after they had performed all things
according to the law of the Lord"--that is to say, after they had
offered up the Child Jesus in the Temple--"they returned into
Galilee, to their city"--namely, "Nazareth." In the third place, it
was made known in the Temple to the righteous on the fortieth day
after His birth, as related by Luke (2:22).
The reason of this order is that the shepherds represent the apostles
and other believers of the Jews, to whom the faith of Christ was made
known first; among whom there were "not many mighty, not many noble,"
as we read 1 Cor. 1:26. Secondly, the faith of Christ came to the
"fulness of the Gentiles"; and this is foreshadowed in the Magi.
Thirdly it came to the fulness of the Jews, which is foreshadowed in
the righteous. Wherefore also Christ was manifested to them in the
Jewish Temple.
Reply Obj. 1: As the Apostle says (Rom. 9:30, 31): "Israel, by
following after the law of justice, is not come unto the law of
justice": but the Gentiles, "who followed not after justice,"
forestalled the generality of the Jews in the justice which is of
faith. As a figure of this, Simeon, "who was waiting for the
consolation of Israel," was the last to know Christ born: and he was
preceded by the Magi and the shepherds, who did not await the coming
of Christ with such longing.
Reply Obj. 2: Although the "fulness of the Gentiles came in" unto
faith before the fulness of the Jews, yet the first-fruits of the
Jews preceded the first-fruits of the Gentiles in faith. For this
reason the birth of Christ was made known to the shepherds before the
Magi.
Reply Obj. 3: There are two opinions about the apparition of the star
seen by the Magi. For Chrysostom (Hom. ii in Matth. [*Opus Imperf. in
Matth., falsely ascribed to Chrysostom]), and Augustine in a sermon
on the Epiphany (cxxxi, cxxxii), say that the star was seen by the
Magi during the two years that preceded the birth of Christ: and
then, having first considered the matter and prepared themselves for
the journey, they came from the farthest east to Christ, arriving on
the thirteenth day after His birth. Wherefore Herod, immediately
after the departure of the Magi, "perceiving that He was deluded by
them," commanded the male children to be killed "from two years old
and under," being doubtful lest Christ were already born when the
star appeared, according as he had heard from the Magi.
But others say that the star first appeared when Christ was born, and
that the Magi set off as soon as they saw the star, and accomplished
a journey of very great length in thirteen days, owing partly to the
Divine assistance, and partly to the fleetness of the dromedaries.
And I say this on the supposition that they came from the far east.
But others, again, say that they came from a neighboring country,
whence also was Balaam, to whose teaching they were heirs; and they
are said to have come from the east, because their country was to the
east of the country of the Jews. In this case Herod killed the babes,
not as soon as the Magi departed, but two years after: and that
either because he is said to have gone to Rome in the meanwhile on
account of an accusation brought against him, or because he was
troubled at some imminent peril, and for the time being desisted from
his anxiety to slay the child, or because he may have thought that
the Magi, "being deceived by the illusory appearance of the star, and
not finding the child, as they had expected to, were ashamed to
return to him": as Augustine says (De Consensu Evang. ii). And the
reason why he killed not only those who were two years old, but also
the younger children, would be, as Augustine says in a sermon on the
Innocents, because he feared lest a child whom the stars obey, might
make himself appear older or younger.
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