|
Objection 1: It would seem that the heavens should not have been
opened unto Christ at His baptism. For the heavens should be opened
unto one who needs to enter heaven, by reason of his being out of
heaven. But Christ was always in heaven, according to Jn.
3:13: "The Son of Man who is in heaven." Therefore it seems
that the heavens should not have been opened unto Him.
Objection 2: Further, the opening of the heavens is understood
either in a corporal or in a spiritual sense. But it cannot be
understood in a corporal sense: because the heavenly bodies are
impassible and indissoluble, according to Job 37:18: "Thou
perhaps hast made the heavens with Him, which are most strong, as if
they were of molten brass." In like manner neither can it be
understood in a spiritual sense, because the heavens were not
previously closed to the eyes of the Son of God. Therefore it seems
unbecoming to say that when Christ was baptized "the heavens were
opened."
Objection 3: Further, heaven was opened to the faithful through
Christ's Passion, according to Heb. 10:19: "We have a
confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ."
Wherefore not even those who were baptized with Christ's baptism,
and died before His Passion, could enter heaven. Therefore the
heavens should have been opened when Christ was suffering rather than
when He was baptized.
On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 3:21): "Jesus being
baptized and praying, heaven was opened."
I answer that, As stated above (Article 1; Question 38,
Article 1), Christ wished to be baptized in order to consecrate the
baptism wherewith we were to be baptized. And therefore it behooved
those things to be shown forth which belong to the efficacy of our
baptism: concerning which efficacy three points are to be considered.
First, the principal power from which it is derived; and this,
indeed, is a heavenly power. For which reason, when Christ was
baptized, heaven was opened, to show that in future the heavenly power
would sanctify baptism.
Secondly, the faith of the Church and of the person baptized conduces
to the efficacy of baptism: wherefore those who are baptized make a
profession of faith, and baptism is called the "sacrament of faith."
Now by faith we gaze on heavenly things, which surpass the senses and
human reason. And in order to signify this, the heavens were opened
when Christ was baptized.
Thirdly, because the entrance to the heavenly kingdom was opened to us
by the baptism of Christ in a special manner, which entrance had been
closed to the first man through sin. Hence, when Christ was
baptized, the heavens were opened, to show that the way to heaven is
open to the baptized.
Now after baptism man needs to pray continually, in order to enter
heaven: for though sins are remitted through baptism, there still
remain the fomes of sin assailing us from within, and the world and the
devils assailing us from without. And therefore it is said pointedly
(Lk. 3:21) that "Jesus being baptized and praying, heaven was
opened": because, to wit, the faithful after baptism stand in need
of prayer. Or else, that we may be led to understand that the very
fact that through baptism heaven is opened to believers is in virtue of
the prayer of Christ. Hence it is said pointedly (Mt. 3:16)
that "heaven was opened to Him"---that is, "to all for His
sake." Thus, for example, the Emperor might say to one asking a
favor for another: "Behold, I grant this favor, not to him, but
to thee"---that is, "to him for thy sake," as Chrysostom says
(Hom. iv in Matth. [Opus Imperfectum]).
Reply to Objection 1: According to Chrysostom (Hom. iv in
Matth.; from the supposititious Opus Imperfectum), as Christ was
baptized for man's sake, though He needed no baptism for His own
sake, so the heavens were opened unto Him as man, whereas in respect
of His Divine Nature He was ever in heaven.
Reply to Objection 2: As Jerome says on Mt. 3:16,17, the
heavens were opened to Christ when He was baptized, not by an
unfolding of the elements, but by a spiritual vision: thus does
Ezechiel relate the opening of the heavens at the beginning of his
book. And Chrysostom proves this (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the
supposititious Opus Imperfectum) by saying that "if the
creature"---namely, heaven---"had been sundered he would not
have said, 'were opened to Him,' since what is opened in a
corporeal sense is open to all." Hence it is said expressly (Mk.
1:10) that Jesus "forthwith coming up out of the water, saw the
heavens opened"; as though the opening of the heavens were to be
considered as seen by Christ. Some, indeed, refer this to the
corporeal vision, and say that such a brilliant light shone round about
Christ when He was baptized, that the heavens seemed to be opened.
It can also be referred to the imaginary vision, in which manner
Ezechiel saw the heavens opened: since such a vision was formed in
Christ's imagination by the Divine power and by His rational will,
so as to signify that the entrance to heaven is opened to men through
baptism. Lastly, it can be referred to intellectual vision:
forasmuch as Christ, when He had sanctified baptism, saw that heaven
was opened to men: nevertheless He had seen before that this would be
accomplished.
Reply to Objection 3: Christ's Passion is the common cause of the
opening of heaven to men. But it behooves this cause to be applied to
each one, in order that he enter heaven. And this is effected by
baptism, according to Rm. 6:3: "All we who are baptized in
Christ Jesus are baptized in His death." Wherefore mention is made
of the opening of the heavens at His baptism rather than at His
Passion.
Or, as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the
supposititious Opus Imperfectum): "When Christ was baptized, the
heavens were merely opened: but after He had vanquished the tyrant by
the cross; since gates were no longer needed for a heaven which
thenceforth would be never closed, the angels said, not 'open the
gates,' but 'Take them away.'" Thus Chrysostom gives us to
understand that the obstacles which had hitherto hindered the souls of
the departed from entering into heaven were entirely removed by the
Passion: but at Christ's baptism they were opened, as though the
way had been shown by which men were to enter into heaven.
|
|