Whether Christ Should Have Associated with Men, or Led a Solitary
Life?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should not have associated
with men, but should have led a solitary life. For it behooved Christ
to show by His manner of life not only that He was man, but also that
He was God. But it is not becoming that God should associate with
men, for it is written (Dan. 2:11): "Except the gods, whose
conversation is not with men"; and the Philosopher says (Polit. i)
that he who lives alone is "either a beast"--that is, if he do this
from being wild--"or a god," if his motive be the contemplation of
truth. Therefore it seems that it was not becoming for Christ to
associate with men.
Obj. 2: Further, while He lived in mortal flesh, it behooved Christ
to lead a most perfect life. But the most perfect is the
contemplative life, as we have stated in the Second Part (II-II, Q.
182, AA. 1, 2). Now, solitude is most suitable to the contemplative
life; according to Osee 2:14: "I will lead her into the wilderness,
and I will speak to her heart." Therefore it seems that Christ should
have led a solitary life.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ's manner of life should have been uniform:
because it should always have given evidence of that which is best.
But at times Christ avoided the crowd and sought lonely places: hence
Remigius [*Cf. Catena Aurea, Matth. 5:1], commenting on Matthew, says:
"We read that our Lord had three places of refuge: the ship, the
mountain, the desert; to one or other of which He betook Himself
whenever he was harassed by the crowd." Therefore He ought always to
have led a solitary life.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Baruch 3:38): "Afterwards He was
seen upon earth and conversed with men."
_I answer that,_ Christ's manner of life had to be in keeping with
the end of His Incarnation, by reason of which He came into the
world. Now He came into the world, first, that He might publish the
truth. Thus He says Himself (John 18:37): "For this was I born, and
for this came I into the world, that I should give testimony to the
truth." Hence it was fitting not that He should hide Himself by
leading a solitary life, but that He should appear openly and preach
in public. Wherefore (Luke 4:42, 43) He says to those who wished to
stay Him: "To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for
therefore am I sent."
Secondly, He came in order to free men from sin; according to 1 Tim.
1:15: "Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners." And hence,
as Chrysostom says, "although Christ might, while staying in the same
place, have drawn all men to Himself, to hear His preaching, yet He
did not do so; thus giving us the example to go about and seek those
who perish, like the shepherd in his search of the lost sheep, and
the physician in his attendance on the sick."
Thirdly, He came that by Him "we might have access to God," as it is
written (Rom. 5:2). And thus it was fitting that He should give men
confidence in approaching Him by associating familiarly with them.
Wherefore it is written (Matt. 9:10): "It came to pass as He was
sitting . . . in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came,
and sat down with Jesus and His disciples." On which Jerome comments
as follows: "They had seen the publican who had been converted from a
sinful to a better life: and consequently they did not despair of
their own salvation."
Reply Obj. 1: Christ wished to make His Godhead known through His
human nature. And therefore, since it is proper to man to do so, He
associated with men, at the same time manifesting His Godhead to all,
by preaching and working miracles, and by leading among men a
blameless and righteous life.
Reply Obj. 2: As stated in the Second Part (II-II, Q. 182, A. 1; Q.
188, A. 6), the contemplative life is, absolutely speaking, more
perfect than the active life, because the latter is taken up with
bodily actions: yet that form of active life in which a man, by
preaching and teaching, delivers to others the fruits of his
contemplation, is more perfect than the life that stops at
contemplation, because such a life is built on an abundance of
contemplation, and consequently such was the life chosen by Christ.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ's action is our instruction. And therefore, in
order to teach preachers that they ought not to be for ever before
the public, our Lord withdrew Himself sometimes from the crowd. We
are told of three reasons for His doing this. First, for the rest of
the body: hence (Mk. 6:31) it is stated that our Lord said to His
disciples: "Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For
there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to
eat." But sometimes it was for the sake of prayer; thus it is written
(Luke 6:12): "It came to pass in those days, that He went out into a
mountain to pray; and He passed the whole night in the prayer of
God." On this Ambrose remarks that "by His example He instructs us in
the precepts of virtue." And sometimes He did so in order to teach us
to avoid the favor of men. Wherefore Chrysostom, commenting on Matt.
5:1, Jesus, "seeing the multitude, went up into a mountain," says:
"By sitting not in the city and in the market-place, but on a
mountain and in a place of solitude, He taught us to do nothing for
show, and to withdraw from the crowd, especially when we have to
discourse of needful things."
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