Whether Christ Endured All Suffering?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did endure all sufferings,
because Hilary (De Trin. x) says: "God's only-begotten Son testifies
that He endured every kind of human sufferings in order to accomplish
the sacrament of His death, when with bowed head He gave up the
ghost." It seems, therefore, that He did endure all human sufferings.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Isa. 52:13): "Behold My servant shall
understand, He shall be exalted and extolled, and shall be exceeding
high; as many as have been astonished at Him [Vulg.: 'thee'], so shall
His visage be inglorious among men, and His form among the sons of
men." But Christ was exalted in that He had all grace and all
knowledge, at which many were astonished in admiration thereof.
Therefore it seems that He was "inglorious," by enduring every human
suffering.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ's Passion was ordained for man's deliverance
from sin, as stated above (A. 3). But Christ came to deliver men from
every kind of sin. Therefore He ought to have endured every kind of
suffering.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (John 19:32): "The soldiers
therefore came: and they broke the legs of the first, and of the
other who was crucified with Him; but after they were come to Jesus,
when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs."
Consequently, He did not endure every human suffering.
_I answer that,_ Human sufferings may be considered under two
aspects. First of all, specifically, and in this way it was not
necessary for Christ to endure them all, since many are mutually
exclusive, as burning and drowning; for we are dealing now with
sufferings inflicted from without, since it was not beseeming for Him
to endure those arising from within, such as bodily ailments, as
already stated (Q. 14, A. 4). But, speaking generically, He did
endure every human suffering. This admits of a threefold acceptance.
First of all, on the part of men: for He endured something from
Gentiles and from Jews; from men and from women, as is clear from the
women servants who accused Peter. He suffered from the rulers, from
their servants and from the mob, according to Ps. 2:1, 2: "Why have
the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things? The kings of
the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord
and against His Christ." He suffered from friends and acquaintances,
as is manifest from Judas betraying and Peter denying Him.
Secondly, the same is evident on the part of the sufferings which a
man can endure. For Christ suffered from friends abandoning Him; in
His reputation, from the blasphemies hurled at Him; in His honor and
glory, from the mockeries and the insults heaped upon Him; in things,
for He was despoiled of His garments; in His soul, from sadness,
weariness, and fear; in His body, from wounds and scourgings.
Thirdly, it may be considered with regard to His bodily members. In
His head He suffered from the crown of piercing thorns; in His hands
and feet, from the fastening of the nails; on His face from the blows
and spittle; and from the lashes over His entire body. Moreover, He
suffered in all His bodily senses: in touch, by being scourged and
nailed; in taste, by being given vinegar and gall to drink; in smell,
by being fastened to the gibbet in a place reeking with the stench of
corpses, "which is called Calvary"; in hearing, by being tormented
with the cries of blasphemers and scorners; in sight, by beholding
the tears of His Mother and of the disciple whom He loved.
Reply Obj. 1: Hilary's words are to be understood as to all classes
of sufferings, but not as to their kinds.
Reply Obj. 2: The likeness is sustained, not as to the number of the
sufferings and graces, but as to their greatness; for, as He was
uplifted above others in gifts of graces, so was He lowered beneath
others by the ignominy of His sufferings.
Reply Obj. 3: The very least one of Christ's sufferings was
sufficient of itself to redeem the human race from all sins; but as
to fittingness, it sufficed that He should endure all classes of
sufferings, as stated above.
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