Tertia Pars
Lecture 103: Christ's Miracles: Divine Power and Their Sufficiency

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The second article, where Christ did miracles by divine power, right? The second one goes forward thus. It seems that Christ did not do miracles by divine power. It seems kind of strange you would want to examine this, right? For the divine power is omnipotent, huh? But it seems that Christ was not omnipotent in doing miracles. For it is said in Mark 6, Yes, he was not able there to wit in his own country to do any, what, power there, any miracle. Therefore, it seems that he did not do miracles by divine power, right? It's an invitation. Moreover, it doesn't belong to God to pray, but Christ sometimes in doing miracles prayed, as is clear in the raising of Lazarus, right? And also in the multiplication of the bread, as is said in Matthew chapter 14, huh? Therefore, it seems that he did not do miracles by divine power, huh? Moreover, those things which come about by divine power are not able to, what, come about by the power of any creature. But those things which Christ did are able also to come about by the power of some creature. Whence the Pharisee said that In Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, huh? He casts out demons, huh? Therefore, it seems that Christ did not make miracles by divine power, huh? That blasphemy there of the Pharisees, you know, really shows their kind of malice, huh? It seems to me. It's one of the things that kind of, the more vivid, you know, impression of these men, huh? But against this is what the Lord himself said in John 14. The Father remaining in me, he does these, what, works. Well, Thomas says, the answer should be said that as is had in the first part, true miracles, right, are able to come about only by the divine, what, power. Because God alone is able to change the order of nature, which pertains to the notion of a miracle. That's why the modern scientists would deny miracles, right? Because he can't change out the laws of nature, right? Whence Leopapa says in the Epistle to Flavian that since in Christ there are two natures, one of them, to wit, the divine one, which glows, I guess, huh? by miracles, right? The other, the human, which comes to injuries, huh? But nevertheless, one of them acts with the communication of the other, insofar as the human nature is an instrument of the divine, what, action, huh? And the human action, or, excuse me, yeah, human action gains power from the, what, divine nature. It's been shown above, right? Okay. So as you frame back to earlier texts, you know, we haven't covered in this course, right? And what about in his, yeah, not doing things. To first, therefore, it should be said that this that is said, he was not able there to do any, what, miracle, I guess, huh? Any powerful thing. Should not be referring to his absolute power, right, huh? But to that which he could bring about, that which could come about, in a suitable way, right, huh? For it is not congruent or suitable that among the unbelieving he does, what, miracles, huh? And once it is joined, and he wondered about their, what, unbelief, huh? According to which mode is said, Genesis 18, 2. And I'm not able to do anything until, what, you go there. I mean, you know, I guess the doing of miracles, even by saying, is attributed to his faith, huh? Mm-hmm. And it kind of interests, you know, when Thomas develops the reason, I don't remember all the reasons for that, but one that kind of sticks in my mind is going back to Anaxagoras, and that he says that the mind that moves things, right, can't be mixed up with them. It's got to be distinct from them. And so faith, what, separates you from things, right? And you're not, you know, tied to what you can sense, right? But your mind is raised above things, right? And that's appropriateness to have power, huh? Mm-hmm. But also by faith, you're first joined to God, and so on, which is a source of power. So it's kind of, you know, a curious thing, you know, because on the one hand, part of the truth of miracles is to, what, take those who are unfaithful and make them faithful, right? But in another case, it's what, one is an appropriate doer of miracles because of faith, right? Mm-hmm. So it's kind of, it's kind of, kind of a, two things to be considered there, right? It's more about, some miracles have done to provoke faith, and other miracles have done to confirm it. Yeah. Yeah. Now, why did he praise sometimes, right? Well, something else he wanted to bring out. To the second should be said, but as Christendom says, huh? Taking five loaves and two fishes, right? Looking into heaven, he blessed them and he broke them, huh? It's necessary, he says, to believe about Christ, that he is from the Father, right, huh? And that he is, what, equal to him, right? And therefore, that he might show both of these things. Now, with power, right, he's got his own doing it, right? Now, praying, he does, what, miracles, huh? And in lesser ones, he regards, what, heaven? As in the multiplication of the breads. As in those things that are greater, which are only of God, he acts with his own power, as when he dismisses sins and raises the, what, dead, right, huh? That, however, what is said in John 11, that in the raising of Lazarus, he lifted up, what, his eyes upwards. Not on account of necessity of this, right? But he does, for example, right, huh? Once he says, on account of the people who are around, I said, that they might believe that you have what sent them. Sure, it's harmony with the Father, and so on. But he's not, he feels about, right? Casting out these things, and doing these things. Yeah. And what about, there's any probability that, you know, Yelzebub could do, right? What Christ is doing. To the third, it should be said that Christ, in another way, expelled demons, than they are expelled by the power of the, what, demons, huh? For by the power of the higher demons, right? Thus demons are expelled from bodies, that nevertheless, there remains a command of them as it guards their soul, right, huh? For not against his own kingdom does the devil act, huh? But Christ expels demons, not only from the body, but much more from the soul. And therefore, the Lord disproves the blasphemy of the Jews, saying that he cast demons out in the power of demons. First, because through this, Satan, against himself, is not, what, divided. Secondly, by the example of those who, what, cast out demons through the Spirit of God. Third, because to expel the demon is not possible unless he be overcome by the divine, what, power. Fourth, because there's no agreement in the works nor in the effect between himself and Satan, because Satan disperses, which is to disperse what Christ was. Now, what about the time he's got to do his miracles, huh? Did Christ begin to do miracles at the time of the wedding feast of Cana? Well, Thomas says no. The third one proceeds thus. It seems that Christ does not begin to do miracles in the weddings by changing water into what? Why, huh? For we read in the book on the infancy of the Savior, in my footnote there says the C.O.D., the Code of Apocryphal Novo Testamento, Hamburg, huh? For it is read in the book of the infancy of the Savior that Christ in his youth, right, in his boyhood, did many miracles, right? But the miracle of the conversion of water into wine was made in the wedding feast, in the 30th or 31st year of his age, huh? Therefore, it seems that he did not begin then to do miracles, huh? Moreover, Christ did miracles by his divine power. But the divine power was in him from the beginning of his conception. For then he was both God and man. Therefore, it seems that from the beginning he would, what, do miracles, huh? Moreover, Christ, after baptism and the temptation, began to bring together the disciples, as is read in Matthew 4. But the disciples are especially brought together to him on account of miracles. As is said in Luke chapter 5, that he called Peter stupefied, right? An account of the miracle, which he did in the capture of the fish. Therefore, it seems that before the miracle that he did in the weddings, he did other miracles. But again, this is what is said in John chapter 2. This was the beginning of the signs that Jesus did in Cana and Galilee, right? So, we wine lovers, you know, he has some juice as well. Yeah, miracle. The answer should be said, that miracles are done by Christ for the sake of the confirmation of his teaching, right? And secondly, to showing the divine power that is, what, in him. And therefore, as regards to first, he ought not to make miracles before he began to, what, teach, eh? But he ought not to begin to teach before the perfect age, as was had above when we spoke of the baptism of Christ, eh? But as regards to second, he thus ought through miracles to show his divinity, that there might be believed the truth of his, what, human nature. And therefore, as Christendom says upon John, suitably, he did not begin to do signs from his first age, or in his first age. For they would estimate that it was a fantasy, right? An imagination, eh? The incarnation, right? And before it was, what, an opportune time to hand him over to the cross. Or they would have done it before the opportune time, huh? As a boy, it would have been, huh? Yes, yes, right. Kind of interesting, wasn't it? Thomas, you know, you've used his Christendom a lot, huh? When you go through the commentary on John, he's always quoting, you know, Augustine and Christendom, giving at least their position on this particular text, you know? He had kind of a running thing with those two guys all the way through there. So it gives two reasons then, right? Why he didn't do miracles up at that point. To the first, therefore, it should be said, that Christendom upon John, from the word of John the Baptist, saying, that he might be made known in Israel, on account of that I came baptizing in water, is manifest that those signs, which some say in boyhood were done by Christ, are lies and fictions, right? Indotia, fictionism. For if from his first age Christ had done these miracles, neither would John have, what, ignored him, nor would the remaining multitude need a teacher to manifest him. So don't get caught in those lies and fictions. She had a strong faith. She had a great faith. She went to it with Mary, you know, and wondered about this son of her, as you know. Joseph, too. Yeah. Somebody said, imagine if you're living in the house with the incarnate word of God and the immaculate conception. You know John Paul II's letter there in Joseph? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. I saw an article on Joseph, and then he referred back to the encyclical, the encyclical of Leo XIII, you know? And then this, I think the one of John Paul is not an encyclical, what's it, it's an apostolic letter or something, something like that, sir. But it's actually longer and more detailed than one of, but I mean the kind of main thing you're emphasizing is the fact that because of his providence and preservation of the child Jesus, right, then he, you'd actually say he's going to have, what, be a preserver or protector of the mystical body of Christ, right, as well as his... Yeah, yeah. His human body, no? So he's, you know, that's in the liturgy of St. Joseph too, huh, big thing, yeah. Of course you refer to Teresa of Alva always, naming all these, one step, one step after Joseph, huh? Yeah. Yeah, she's very devoted to him. She used to, she lamented the fact, and I think she's been named, some of the cardinals of the Pope or someone, to have his feast move out of Lent. She said that we can't let the observer with all the, you know, festivity in the Lent. And she used to, she had a little horn and a drum, because they couldn't have a special feast in the monastery because it was Lent. So she used to go in her cell, and she pulls the door, and you're banging on her drum, and tooting her horn. They have to, but they have a little, like kind of an anvil, and his little horn. And one of our buyers, they have a picture of it. Well, in the Nativity Parish, right, you're up there in St. Paul, there you have a little side chapel, there's a version on the left, and on the right, you have a little side chapel of Joseph. And it seemed like, a lot of the parish churches had that, you know. Yeah. I kind of assumed that every church had a little side altar, which you can bury it, one for Joseph, you know, but I haven't seen that much around here so much. My sister, when she was married, that they had the parish with the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and that communion, it's common to what bride would kneel down in front of the Blessed Mother. Ed went to kneel in front of St. Joseph. It's common to, to go to the marriage. It's common to see a bride do that. Yeah. But the groom just stays there, but he went, and it's knelt down in front of the St. Joseph. Yeah. My mom put her flowers, and my father, maybe another candle or something. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. That's what we did. Yeah. Did you say it? Okay. Um. The second should be said that the divine power worked in Christ according as was necessary to human salvation, on account of which he took on flesh. And therefore, in this way, he did miracles by divine power, that to our faith about the truth of his flesh, there would be no prejudice to that. Okay, to the third one, it should be said here. This pertains, this very thing pertains to the praise of the disciples, that they, what, followed Christ, when they had, what, seen him do no miracles, as Gregory says, and he says in homily, right? Thomas really knows these church fathers, better than we do, that's it, I'm sure. And as Chrysostom says, most of all then signs are necessary to do when the disciples already brought together and devout and paying attention to those things which came about. Once there is joint, I guess it's the after miracle, right? And they believed in him, his disciples. Not that then that they first believed, that doesn't mean that, right? But that then they more diligently and perfectly believed, huh? Or disciples he calls those who were his, what, future disciples, right? As Augustine expounds in the book on the consent of the evangelists. You know, one time I was getting a talk there on this miracle, and I was to see it as a preparing the way for the Eucharist, right? Because in the Eucharist the bread and the wine is turned into the body and blood of our Lord, but you don't see this with the senses. But here you see the water turned into the wine, but it doesn't keep the, I mean, self Yeah. I mean, as far as the, you know, the belief of the bridegroom or so on, you want to keep, you wouldn't want to keep the accident, it's the water, the wine. Bottom's up. There's so much water here instead of wine, you know? But in terms of preparing the Eucharist, right? You see the power of Christ, right? That he actually did turn water into wine, and you can know this by your senses, if you were there. Yeah. And it was people in wine, too, I guess. That's what they say, yeah. And, uh... But I like to see it as, you know, there's something added to it, but I mean, something, you know, preparation for the Eucharist, right? I mean, the circumstances of the miracle say, well, they just happened to run short of wine, and Mary felt sorry for them, and, you know, wanting to do something about it. But all those, you know, contingent or chance circumstances come under divine providence, right? That these circumstances, these chance events, they are the occasion, you might say, for this miracle were intended by him, right? So I think it makes sense to look at this miracle as having many other reasons, right, for it. Not just to confirm the faith of the apostles in him at that time, right? But to prepare the way for the, what, faith in the Eucharist, huh? It's kind of interesting, well, this is what, the second chapter, and then the sixth chapter, John, you have the, you know, people walking away from him, you know, hard teaching, right? So, I mean, you know, it makes sense, especially in the context of the order of John's gospel there, that the apostles, you know, were going to, to, I mean, firm in faith, right? They've already seen this miracle in the water and the wine, right? So they kind of dispose of that to accept his power to do what he's doing, right? Eucharist, huh? It kind of strikes me, you know, this phrase they use, like it's in the Sister Faustina, you know, but the, you know, things we all know, the body and blood, the soul and divinity, but the order they give it in, right? Body and blood, right, huh? So the body's, you know, where you start, right? And he doesn't want to have anybody doubt that he's human flesh, right? So the body and blood and soul and divinity. The soul and divinity are more important than the body and blood, but you've got to start with the body and blood, right? And the body and blood are there by reason of the words of conversion, huh? And then the, what, the soul and the divinity are there by reason of connection with these, huh? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Now, were the miracles which Christ did sufficient to showing his, what? Divinity, huh? My goodness, he's got a long pass on these objections here. To the fourth one goes forward thus. It seemed that the miracles which Christ did were not sufficient to showing his divinity. For to be God and man is private to, what? Christ, huh? People always translate it appropriate or proper, but I don't think in some cases that's the proper way to translate it. It's more private, right? It's unique in a sense to Christ, right? I don't think anybody else is both God and man. So it's private to him, right? It's not common to him and anybody else, is it? But the miracles which Christ did were also done by others, huh? Therefore, it seems that they were not sufficient to showing his divinity, right? So doesn't Paul raise from the dead there? Is it Tabitha? Is that her name? Peter. Peter? Peter? Paul raised that kid. The kid that falls off the ledge? The dog falls asleep during my house. I might not raise a woman there. I remember it's a woman, Tabitha was her name, right? Of course, our cat was named Tabitha. I said, I've got a voice. Hey, that's the name of our cat. Boy, he said, you better not have said that, you know. My daughter needed Tabitha, you know, from the stories there, you know. Beatrix Potter stories, you know, Tabitha. So Moppet was her daughter, you know, that she named the name from that. I can't hear that name, Tabitha. I don't think of the cat. I never know anybody named Tabitha, except very recently, you know, and then from Scripture, you know, and across the name Tabitha. Oh, our cat was named that. Or our dog is named that. I've seen people say that about people with their dogs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some people don't mind, some people don't mind. Yeah. Moreover, nothing is greater than the, what, power of the divinity? But some did greater miracles than Christ, huh? For he said in John chapter 14, who believes in me, most of the time you believe here in doing miracles now, who believes in me, he will do what? Works right. And he will do them, and even greater ones than the ones that I do, right? Therefore, it seemed that the miracles, which Christ did, were not sufficient to showing his, what, divinity, huh? How are you going to solve that, except by saying he does it by his own power, but he does it by interceding or intercession, right? I got no money, you know, but in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up, you know? Right, yeah. He's doing the power of Jesus rather than his own. I think he shows the divinity, even in the sense that he could do it himself directly, but he can do it through another, really. Yeah. More from the particular is not sufficiently shown the universal. But each of the miracles of Christ was a certain particular work. Therefore, from none of them could be made known sufficiently the divinity of Christ, to which it belongs to have a universal power over all things. Yeah, so he's got power over water in one. Big deal. But against this is what the Lord says, John chapter 5. I answer, it should be said that the miracles which Christ did were sufficient to make known his divine nature, huh? Say, kundum tria, right, according to three things, huh? First, because according to the very, what, species or kind of works, which transcended every power of a created, what, power, and therefore not able to come about except by divine power. And account of this, the blind man, what, enlightened, it is said about it, from the ages, right, it was not heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind, right, huh? Unless this man was from God, he could not, what? Yeah, such a thing. Secondly, on account of the way of doing the miracles. Because, as it were, by his own power, right, huh? He did miracles, not over by, what, praying as others, right? Whence it is said, Luke 6, that power went out from him and healed all, right? The witch has shown, as Cyril says, that he did not take another's power, right, huh? But since he was naturally God, huh? He showed his own, what, power upon the infirm or the sick. And account of this also, he did innumerable miracles, huh? Whence upon that of Matthew 8, he cast out spirits by his word, huh? And he cured all, having themselves in a bad way. How's that for translation, huh? It's hard, we did. I remember one of the Christian brothers there, you know, he translated the philosophy science book at Laval, right? That one of the professors had written there. He translated from the French into English, right? Because he couldn't find a text he really liked, and he doesn't very good. So once he had translated it, and a lot of work to translate the thing from the French into English, he had to get a publisher, right? Well, the publisher was really interested in publishing that book. But they wanted to hire him to be a translator from French into English, which is the last thing he wanted, right? He just got out of his way to translate this text in philosophy of science, and he didn't want a job translating French into English the rest of his life at this publishing house. But they weren't interested in publishing the book. And a Christian says about this, right? This text in Matthew 8. Pay attention, huh? How great a multitude, right? The, what? Cured by him, right, huh? The evangelists kind of run by, huh? Fly, this is what it is. Fly by media. You know, Rush Limbaugh, he always calls it a fly by, run by. Meteor or something like that. Yeah. Okay. Not narrating each, what? One cured, right, huh? But in one word, right, huh? Bringing in an unspeakable, right? Ineffable. Ocean. Ocean of what? Miracles, huh? People come in there after dinner, you know, and all the people they could find were sick, right? In the cities or towns, yeah? And from this he has shown that he had a power co-equal to that of God the Father, right, huh? According to that of John chapter 5. Whatever things the Father does, these the Son does also in like manner, right? Of course, Thomas always points to that similitaire, right? It's meaning that he did his principal cause, not as an instrument of the Father, right? You wouldn't say that the hammer and chisel of Michelangelo did the statue in the same way he did it. But they did it as an instrument of him, right? But here he does it as a, what? Co-equal in this instrument of vision. For thus, for just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so the Son whom he wishes. Third, from his teaching by which he said, So, you're not going to be able to do it, right? So, you're not going to be able to do it, right? So, you're not going to be able to do it, right? So, you're not going to be able to do it, right? He himself was what? God, right? Which, unless it were true, would not have been confirmed by miracles done by the divine power. And therefore, it is said in Mark 1, what is this new teaching, right? Because in the power, he commands the unclean spirits, and even they obey him, right? And the first objection, he says, this is the objection of the Gentiles, huh? Ah, come on, playa, I don't know if I agree for this, huh? When Seagustin says in the epistle to Volusianum, nothing, they say, right, by what? Competent signs, such majesty, or what? Son? Yeah. Narvalis, what does that mean? Well, I mean, like a ghost, or deathly, or resembling, or resembling a demon. So he cured, he cast out the purified meaning of some of the might evil spirits. So that purgation by which he cast out spirits, right? Right. Or cured the sick. Yeah. Or raised the light of the dead. Dead. Also, other things he considered, what? For God, they're small. They're small, right? But they're small. And to this, Augustine responds, huh? We confess, does it, at us, that the prophets did such things, right? But Moses and the other prophets prophesied the Lord Jesus, right? And to him they gave, what? Great glory, huh? Who, on account of such things, that he also wished to do, it was not observed, right? That to them he did them right, if he himself did not do them right. Nevertheless, something private, he wished he ought to do, right? He was born the virgin, he rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven, right, huh? This to God, who, what? Thinks to be little? What more he expects, I don't know. For taking on man, he ought to have made another world, right, huh? So that he is the one to whom the world is made. But neither a greater world, no one equal to this, could come about in this way. If, however, a lesser one below this, similar to this also, would be thought to be small. Which, however, when others did, huh? Which, nevertheless, others did, right? But Christ did more recently, right, huh? Whence upon that of John chapter 15? If I had not done works in them which no one else had done, right, huh? Et cetera. Augustine says, nothing in the works of Christ seems to be greater than the raising of the dead, right, huh? Which we know even the ancient prophets did, huh? But, nevertheless, Christ did some things which no one else did, right, huh? But it is answered by us that he did other things which neither, what? That others did things which neither he nor another one did. But, nevertheless, what? He cured many vices and bad conditions and vexations of mortals with such a power that no one altogether is read to have done to the ancients, huh? The ancients have done this. That he might be silent about the things that he commanded. As he occurred, he made each one, what? Whole? For Mark says, in whatever villages or towns you linter or cities in the streets, they placed the sick and they asked him that he touched the garment, yeah, the thing. And whoever touched them were saved, right, huh? For this no one other did in them, right? This is to have understood what is said, in them, not among them or before them, but in them because he healed them, huh? Nevertheless, he says, no one else did whoever in such things did such works because any other man did one of these things. Christ himself did he doing this. But he did these things, not them doing it, but even doing it. The things that they did, they did through his power, right? But the things he did, not through them. Yeah, yeah. I wonder what Thomas, you know. Do you have all these books available so you could pull out these passages? Or do you have a photographic memory, you know? Maybe he had a photographic memory. What do you think? He had good secretaries. Maybe he had a sufficient memory to recall this or that and then make it a little thing up and that would help. But who knows? I mean, hey, I didn't know what I said. I'll just read about it. St. Thomas, that kind of friend. Second objection now is what? I mean, Christ says that some would do greater things than he's done, right? Strange texts, you know? To the second it should be said that Augustine, expounding that word of John, inquires, what are these greater works, right? Which those believing in him were to do, right? Perhaps, he says, those just in passing by, those who are sick, who are shadows, right? Healed, right? Is it more, for it is greater, what a shadow occurs than the, what, fringe? Fringe, yeah. Nevertheless, when Christ said these things, the deeds of his, what, compended, huh? When he says, the Father, remaining in me, he does his works, huh? What works then did he say except the words that he spoke, huh? And the fruit of those words was the faith of others, huh? Nevertheless, the apostles evangelizing, not a few were, but whole nations believed, huh? Is it not from his mouth that the, what he said, I guess, that the rich young man, I guess? One way said, huh? And nevertheless, afterwards, not through one hearing, right, but many were made through the, what? Yeah. Behold, he did greater things preached by those believing right than he spoke those hearing. But truly this also woos us that these greater things he did through the apostles, not signifying them alone. He said, who believes in me, right? Here, therefore, who believes in me, the works which I do it, he himself will also do right. Because he believes in me, right? First, therefore, I do, then also what he does. Because I bring it about that he does it. Which works unless that for me, what, impious, you make a man, what, just, huh? Which in him, but not without him, Christ does, huh? It's an instrument. And greater, I say, this is than to create heaven and earth, right? For heaven and earth will pass away, huh? But the salvation, justification of the predestined will remain, huh? But in the heavens, the works of the angels are of what? Christ. For is that greater than these works, the one who cooperates with Christ to his own justification. This is from that great text that Thomas discusses, huh? Unicet, huh? Judge who is able. Whether there's something greater to what? Justine. Yeah. Or to justify the impious, right? Nevertheless, if equals is both of power, this one is more of mercy, right? But all the works of Christ to understand, but to understand all the works of Christ, where he says, greater than these he will do, right? No necessity forces us, huh? For these, he said, perhaps, which in that hour he did, huh? There didn't mean all the works of Christ when he was on earth, but there was ones he was doing at that time, right? Then, however, he did the, what? The words of faith, and it is less to preach the words of justice, which he did without us, right? Than to justify the impious, which he makes in us, so that we also do it, huh? So he created us without us, he says, but he would redeem us without us. Now, the from the particular is not sufficiently shown the universal. This is true of all. God, even the universe doesn't equal the divine power, right? Infinity of it. To the third, it should be said that when some particular work is proper to or private to some agent, right? Then through that particular work is shown the whole power of the agent. Just as when to reason is proper to man, or private to man, there is shown someone to be a man from the fact that he reasons about anything in particular proposed, huh? And likewise, when by his own power he did miracles that only God could do right, huh? Sufficiently is shown for Christ to be God from whatever miracle he does by his own power. And we'll break down before we look at the next question here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.