Whether the Pain of Christ's Passion Was Greater Than All Other Pains?
Objection 1: It would seem that the pain of Christ's Passion was not
greater than all other pains. For the sufferer's pain is increased by
the sharpness and the duration of the suffering. But some of the
martyrs endured sharper and more prolonged pains than Christ, as is
seen in St. Lawrence, who was roasted upon a gridiron; and in St.
Vincent, whose flesh was torn with iron pincers. Therefore it seems
that the pain of the suffering Christ was not the greatest.
Obj. 2: Further, strength of soul mitigates pain, so much so that the
Stoics held there was no sadness in the soul of a wise man; and
Aristotle (Ethic. ii) holds that moral virtue fixes the mean in the
passions. But Christ had most perfect strength of soul. Therefore it
seems that the greatest pain did not exist in Christ.
Obj. 3: Further, the more sensitive the sufferer is, the more acute
will the pain be. But the soul is more sensitive than the body, since
the body feels in virtue of the soul; also, Adam in the state of
innocence seems to have had a body more sensitive than Christ had,
who assumed a human body with its natural defects. Consequently, it
seems that the pain of a sufferer in purgatory, or in hell, or even
Adam's pain, if he suffered at all, was greater than Christ's in the
Passion.
Obj. 4: Further, the greater the good lost, the greater the pain. But
by sinning the sinner loses a greater good than Christ did when
suffering; since the life of grace is greater than the life of
nature: also, Christ, who lost His life, but was to rise again after
three days, seems to have lost less than those who lose their lives
and abide in death. Therefore it seems that Christ's pain was not the
greatest of all.
Obj. 5: Further, the victim's innocence lessens the sting of his
sufferings. But Christ died innocent, according to Jer. 9:19: "I was
as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim." Therefore it seems
that the pain of Christ's Passion was not the greatest.
Obj. 6: Further, there was nothing superfluous in Christ's conduct.
But the slightest pain would have sufficed to secure man's salvation,
because from His Divine Person it would have had infinite virtue.
Therefore it would have been superfluous to choose the greatest of
all pains.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Lam. 1:12) on behalf of Christ's
Person: "O all ye that pass by the way attend, and see if there be
any sorrow like unto My sorrow."
_I answer that,_ As we have stated, when treating of the defects
assumed by Christ (Q. 15, AA. 5, 6), there was true and sensible pain
in the suffering Christ, which is caused by something hurtful to the
body: also, there was internal pain, which is caused from the
apprehension of something hurtful, and this is termed "sadness." And
in Christ each of these was the greatest in this present life. This
arose from four causes. First of all, from the sources of His pain.
For the cause of the sensitive pain was the wounding of His body; and
this wounding had its bitterness, both from the extent of the
suffering already mentioned (A. 5) and from the kind of suffering,
since the death of the crucified is most bitter, because they are
pierced in nervous and highly sensitive parts--to wit, the hands and
feet; moreover, the weight of the suspended body intensifies the
agony, and besides this there is the duration of the suffering
because they do not die at once like those slain by the sword. The
cause of the interior pain was, first of all, all the sins of the
human race, for which He made satisfaction by suffering; hence He
ascribes them, so to speak, to Himself, saying (Ps. 21:2): "The words
of my sins." Secondly, especially the fall of the Jews and of the
others who sinned in His death chiefly of the apostles, who were
scandalized at His Passion. Thirdly, the loss of His bodily life,
which is naturally horrible to human nature.
The magnitude of His suffering may be considered, secondly, from the
susceptibility of the sufferer as to both soul and body. For His body
was endowed with a most perfect constitution, since it was fashioned
miraculously by the operation of the Holy Ghost; just as some other
things made by miracles are better than others, as Chrysostom says
(Hom. xxii in Joan.) respecting the wine into which Christ changed
the water at the wedding-feast. And, consequently, Christ's sense of
touch, the sensitiveness of which is the reason for our feeling pain,
was most acute. His soul likewise, from its interior powers,
apprehended most vehemently all the causes of sadness.
Thirdly, the magnitude of Christ's suffering can be estimated from
the singleness of His pain and sadness. In other sufferers the
interior sadness is mitigated, and even the exterior suffering, from
some consideration of reason, by some derivation or redundance from
the higher powers into the lower; but it was not so with the
suffering Christ, because "He permitted each one of His powers to
exercise its proper function," as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii).
Fourthly, the magnitude of the pain of Christ's suffering can be
reckoned by this, that the pain and sorrow were accepted voluntarily,
to the end of men's deliverance from sin; and consequently He
embraced the amount of pain proportionate to the magnitude of the
fruit which resulted therefrom.
From all these causes weighed together, it follows that Christ's pain
was the very greatest.
Reply Obj. 1: This argument follows from only one of the
considerations adduced--namely, from the bodily injury, which is the
cause of sensitive pain; but the torment of the suffering Christ is
much more intensified from other causes, as above stated.
Reply Obj. 2: Moral virtue lessens interior sadness in one way, and
outward sensitive pain in quite another; for it lessens interior
sadness directly by fixing the mean, as being its proper matter,
within limits. But, as was laid down in the Second Part (I-II, Q. 64,
A. 2), moral virtue fixes the mean in the passions, not according to
mathematical quantity, but according to quantity of proportion, so
that the passion shall not go beyond the rule of reason. And since
the Stoics held all sadness to be unprofitable, they accordingly
believed it to be altogether discordant with reason, and consequently
to be shunned altogether by a wise man. But in very truth some
sadness is praiseworthy, as Augustine proves (De Civ. Dei
xiv)--namely, when it flows from holy love, as, for instance, when a
man is saddened over his own or others' sins. Furthermore, it is
employed as a useful means of satisfying for sins, according to the
saying of the Apostle (2 Cor. 7:10): "The sorrow that is according to
God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation." And so to atone for
the sins of all men, Christ accepted sadness, the greatest in
absolute quantity, yet not exceeding the rule of reason. But moral
virtue does not lessen outward sensitive pain, because such pain is
not subject to reason, but follows the nature of the body; yet it
lessens it indirectly by redundance of the higher powers into the
lower. But this did not happen in Christ's case, as stated above (cf.
Q. 14, A. 1, ad 2; Q. 45, A. 2).
Reply Obj. 3: The pain of a suffering, separated soul belongs to the
state of future condemnation, which exceeds every evil of this life,
just as the glory of the saints surpasses every good of the present
life. Accordingly, when we say that Christ's pain was the greatest,
we make no comparison between His and the pain of a separated soul.
But Adam's body could not suffer, except he sinned; so that he would
become mortal, and passible. And, though actually suffering, it would
have felt less pain than Christ's body, for the reasons already
stated. From all this it is clear that even if Adam had suffered in
the state of innocence, [though this was impossible] his pain would
have been less than Christ's.
Reply Obj. 4: Christ grieved not only over the loss of His own bodily
life, but also over the sins of all others. And this grief in Christ
surpassed all grief of every contrite heart, both because it flowed
from a greater wisdom and charity, by which the pang of contrition is
intensified, and because He grieved at the one time for all sins,
according to Isa. 53:4: "Surely He hath carried our sorrows." But
such was the dignity of Christ's life in the body, especially on
account of the Godhead united with it, that its loss, even for one
hour, would be a matter of greater grief than the loss of another
man's life for howsoever long a time. Hence the Philosopher says
(Ethic. iii) that the man of virtue loves his life all the more in
proportion as he knows it to be better; and yet he exposes it for
virtue's sake. And in like fashion Christ laid down His most beloved
life for the good of charity, according to Jer. 12:7: "I have given
My dear soul into the hands of her enemies."
Reply Obj. 5: The sufferer's innocence does lessen numerically the
pain of the suffering, since, when a guilty man suffers, he grieves
not merely on account of the penalty, but also because of the crime,
whereas the innocent man grieves only for the penalty: yet this pain
is more intensified by reason of his innocence, in so far as he deems
the hurt inflicted to be the more undeserved. Hence it is that even
others are more deserving of blame if they do not compassionate him,
according to Isa. 57:1: "The just perisheth, and no man layeth it to
heart."
Reply Obj. 6: Christ willed to deliver the human race from sins not
merely by His power, but also according to justice. And therefore He
did not simply weigh what great virtue His suffering would have from
union with the Godhead, but also how much, according to His human
nature, His pain would avail for so great a satisfaction.
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