Whether the Sin of Those Who Crucified Christ Was Most Grievous?
Objection 1: It would seem that the sin of Christ's crucifiers was
not the most grievous. Because the sin which has some excuse cannot
be most grievous. But our Lord Himself excused the sin of His
crucifiers when He said: "Father, forgive them: for they know not
what they do" (Luke 23:34). Therefore theirs was not the most
grievous sin.
Obj. 2: Further, our Lord said to Pilate (John 19:11): "He that hath
delivered Me to thee hath the greater sin." But it was Pilate who
caused Christ to be crucified by his minions. Therefore the sin of
Judas the traitor seems to be greater than that of those who
crucified Him.
Obj. 3: Further, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. v): "No one
suffers injustice willingly"; and in the same place he adds: "Where
no one suffers injustice, nobody works injustice." Consequently
nobody wreaks injustice upon a willing subject. But Christ suffered
willingly, as was shown above (AA. 1, 2). Therefore those who
crucified Christ did Him no injustice; and hence their sin was not
the most grievous.
_On the contrary,_ Chrysostom, commenting on the words, "Fill ye up,
then, the measure of your fathers" (Matt. 23:32), says: "In very
truth they exceeded the measure of their fathers; for these latter
slew men, but they crucified God."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 5), the rulers of the Jews knew
that He was the Christ: and if there was any ignorance in them, it
was affected ignorance, which could not excuse them. Therefore their
sin was the most grievous, both on account of the kind of sin, as
well as from the malice of their will. The Jews also of the common
order sinned most grievously as to the kind of their sin: yet in one
respect their crime was lessened by reason of their ignorance. Hence
Bede, commenting on Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do," says: "He prays for them who know not what they
are doing, as having the zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge." But the sin of the Gentiles, by whose hands He was
crucified, was much more excusable, since they had no knowledge of
the Law.
Reply Obj. 1: As stated above, the excuse made by our Lord is not to
be referred to the rulers among the Jews, but to the common people.
Reply Obj. 2: Judas did not deliver up Christ to Pilate, but to the
chief priests who gave Him up to Pilate, according to John 18:35:
"Thy own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee up to me."
But the sin of all these was greater than that of Pilate, who slew
Christ from fear of Caesar; and even greater than the sin of the
soldiers who crucified Him at the governor's bidding, not out of
cupidity like Judas, nor from envy and hate like the chief priests.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ, indeed willed His Passion just as the Father
willed it; yet He did not will the unjust action of the Jews.
Consequently Christ's slayers are not excused of their injustice.
Nevertheless, whoever slays a man not only does a wrong to the one
slain, but likewise to God and to the State; just as he who kills
himself, as the Philosopher says (Ethic. v). Hence it was that David
condemned to death the man who "did not fear to lay hands upon the
Lord's anointed," even though he (Saul) had requested it, as related
2 Kings 1:5-14.
_______________________