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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 (Lk. 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.
Objection 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 (Rm. 11:25).
Therefore Christ's birth should have been made known to the Magi
before the shepherds.
Objection 3: Further, it is written (Mt. 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 (Lk.
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
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 (Lk. 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 to Objection 1: As the Apostle says (Rm.
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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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.]), 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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