Tertia Pars
85. The Baptism of Christ: Why He Was Baptized, Why by John, and Why at Thirty
Class of 2010-03-11
https://berquistcourse.com/course/theology/13-tertia-pars/085-the-baptism-of-christ-why-he-was-baptized-why-by-john-and/

[0:00] Now we get another question on the baptism of Christ, Tom. It's very, very thorough, right? No. I love to see these references to Jerome and to Chrysostom and so on, and Augustine, right? Because it shows that Thomas is not

[0:18] coming out of blue. No. He seems to have inherited the the mind of Chrysostom and the mind of Augustine, as Cajetan says, right? He seems to be so venerated the church fathers that he seems to inherit the mind of them all, right?

[0:40] Yeah, something like that. Aristotle, so kind of venerated the philosophers before him, right? Even though they were in many ways mistaken, you know. That he seems to inherit what was good in all of them.

[0:55] So. In that seventh book of wisdom, I was reading this morning. There, he's he's kind of refuting Plato, you know, but without Plato's mistakes, he wouldn't have come to see what he did, huh?

[1:12] Then we're not to consider about the baptizing of Christ, huh? We're still getting Christ into the world, right? There's still these things. About this, four things are asked. I didn't know that. Eight things. Eight things, I mean. Yeah, eight things asked. First, whether Christ ought to be what baptized, huh?

[1:39] Secondly, whether he ought to be baptized by the baptism of John. Third, about the time of his baptism, huh? Fourth, about the place. Fifth, about this that the heavens are open to him, huh? That's I expect for Clara Maria, but I mean for Christ, I mean the heavens are open for him. Sixth, about the Holy Spirit appearing in the what form of a dove, huh? And whether that dove was a true what?

[2:16] animal. And then eight about the voice of the paternal testimony, right? As we read in the Odyssey, you know, it's beautiful the way they're praising, you know, the rule of Odysseus, who was a king, right, over his people there. Of course, now they're being rather bad to his house, you know, in his absence for ten years. And but he says more than many times, you know, he was he was kind like a father.

[2:49] Just the way Homer sees those things so well. That's what Isaiah and his praises about Christ when he says, "Father of the age to come." Yeah, yeah. That's why you see, you know, we say, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come." You know, why don't we call him a king? You know, because the father is a name of what? Of mercy, right?

[3:19] Corresponds therefore better to hope, right? I mean Homer in a sense, has seen it, right? He was kind, like a, father. It says more than once, you know, it's kind of a, why are you treating his house this way? You know.

[3:39] Okay, so we're down to article one now. Okay, whether it was suitable that Christ be baptized? Well, obviously it wasn't. How could it be?

[3:55] What would be your first thing? You know, why should, why should the Word of God made flesh, right, full of grace and truth, be baptized?

[4:15] Let's see what the master says here. To the first one goes forth. Thus, it seems that it was not suitable for Christ to be baptized. Huh? For to be baptized is to be what? Washed, is it?

[4:31] But Christ did not belong to Christ to be washed, in whom there was no impurity, huh? No sin, huh? Therefore, it seems that Christ did not need, or is not befitting for Christ to be baptized. Huh? Was indecorous.

[4:56] Moreover, Christ received circumcision that he might fulfill the law. But baptism doesn't pertain to the law. Therefore, he ought not to be baptized. Yeah, I put you in your place. Yeah.

[5:15] Moreover, the first mover in every genus is immobile according to that motion that he is a cause of. Just as the heavens, which is the first thing altering the qualities of things, is not itself alterable, right?

[5:33] But Christ is the what? First one baptizing according to that. The one upon whom you see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining, he is the one who baptizes, right? Therefore, Christ ought not to be what? It's not suitable to be baptized.

[5:56] But against all this is what is said in Matthew chapter three that Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John that he might be baptized by him.

[6:09] I don't know all these years when I heard about the baptism, I never had explained in church. Have you? I never had explained in church. No, even you know what is this baptism of Christ, you know? And how does it differ from the baptism we receive? And so we actually we might have occasion for it a little more because since our our Epiphany is not so much the coming of the three kings, but it's the baptism of Christ, so our liturgy actually develops a whole lot.

[6:36] We have a whole season of Epiphany, so kind of it's developed a little bit. Yeah, yeah. I'm surprised he's going to give us three reasons here. I answer. It should be said that it was suitable that Christ be baptized, huh? First, because as Ambrose says upon Luke, huh?

[7:06] The Lord was what baptized, huh? Not wishing to be cleansed, right? But to cleanse the waters, right, huh? That washed through the what flesh of Christ, who did not know sin, right, huh? They might have the force of what as baptism, yeah. Ah,

[7:36] that he left them what sanctified, huh? Afterwards, those who should be baptized, right? That's interesting, right? I mean, there's contact of water and us, but in us it's cleansing us, right? And Christ is acting upon it, yeah. The water is not doing anything for him, but he's doing something for the water, and therefore for us, huh? That's always I find the most interesting reason. It's interesting because that is the first reason too, huh?

[8:10] Now Ambrose gets into the the act, right? Who are the the great doctors of the Western Church? You always see Augustine and Ambrose is one of them. Jerome, Gregory the Great, and sometimes they add Leo, huh?

[8:35] And then we got a Chrysostom, I guess. He's one of the great doctors of the Eastern Church. Second, as Chrysostom says, now, huh? We go to the Eastern Church. The two young lungs there that John and Paul wanted us to breathe, you know. Secondly, as as Chrysostom says upon Matthew, huh? Although Christ was not a what sinner, nevertheless He took on a sinful what nature, and the likeness of the flesh of sin.

[9:07] Right? Took on mortal flesh, but not sin itself. On account of which, although He did not need baptism for Himself, right? Nevertheless, in others He had what the work of. nevertheless Opus asks something that's in the Athanasian Creed, and then refers to something that's necessary. Yeah. Okay. No, it's in others. Carnal nature had need, right?

[9:50] And just as Gregory Nazianzen says, Christ was baptized that the whole old Adam might be what. Immersed in yeah, kind of strange music in a sense. How how is it? What reason did they physically?

[10:19] Is is it much different from the fish? Well, no but he seems to be saying that he he he taken on a body resembling the body that's subject to sin, right? Yeah. And therefore, to teach fleshly nature, right? He underwent this. This is this is what this kind of a body needs, right?

[10:40] But it's more symbolic of it, you know, than than. I mean, obviously, he didn't need it himself, right? But the nature is it more the idea of teaching us what to do? Yeah, something gives us an example. Yeah.

[10:58] Because of the need of our nature, it is all personal. Now, who's this guy, Augustine? I don't care if he's? Heard his name before. Third, he wished to be baptized, says as Augustine says in the Sermon on the Epiphany. Well, that's fair. He's he's one up at you there.

[11:27] Because he wished to do what he commanded to be done by what, By Paul. Paul's, huh? And this is what he himself says: for thus it behooves us, right, to fulfill all what justice, huh? That's what he says to John, doesn't he? John is saying, you know, you you should baptize me now, and

[11:55] for as Ambrose says upon Luke, huh? That this is justice that what you want another to do, first he himself begins to do, right? Huh. That by your example he might what exhort others, huh? I'm missing part of the sentence. It says, "Take us through Stichia." Ut quod alterum facere velis? What you want another to do? That's missing. Alterum. Yeah. Ut quod alterum facere velis? V e l i s.

[12:35] Yeah, just this one too. Yeah. Just after quote, it gives three thirteen, and then it's a quote. I thought that one. Yeah. So actually, the third one is more in terms of example, right? Yeah, it is. Okay. Okay. The rules are symbolic.

[12:51] The second one is kind of symbolic gesture that Christ's human nature needs to show that human nature needs cleansing. Oh. I mean, in a sense, the second argument there, you know, in sense you say, was it suitable that Christ should die on the cross? Well, many reasons for it, right? But death is really the punishment for what? Sin. Sin, right? And Christ did not sin, right? But he had taken on this what?

[13:28] Flesh that came in some way from Adam, right? Without sin, right? And therefore he underwent that which is what appropriate to a body with what? Sin, even though he didn't have sin, but he took under the likeness, right, of a body subject to what? Sin, because he took a body subject to the punishments, right? That we inherit from Adam through original sin, right?

[14:08] So that third argument, though, is more in giving example there, right? Chris, they say sometimes, you know, a military officer has to what? Do what the the man in the line is supposed to do, right? And and he has to show that, give that example, right? And then they are exhorted by his what? His example, yeah.

[14:37] To the first, therefore, it should be said that Christ was not baptized that he might be washed, but that he might wash. Okay. And that's tied up with the first reason he gives in the body of the article, right?

[14:57] To the second, huh? This doesn't pertain to the old law. Well, to the second, should be said that Christ not only ought to fulfill those things which are of the old law, but also to begin those things which are of the what? New law. And therefore, not only did he wish to be circumcised, but also to be what? Yeah.

[15:29] Okay, makes sense, doesn't it? Now, to the third, it should be said that Christ is the first one baptizing spiritually, and in this way he was not baptized, but only in what? Water. So Christ would not receive the baptism we receive, would he? But he does receive this in water only. That's kind of a subtle thing right?

[16:08] Yeah, It's, full of grace and truth. I take a break now, or you wanna? Sure. Okay. Okay, so that raises the second article, right? Okay, the second one goes forward. Thus, it seems that Christ ought not to be baptized by the baptism of John, right? For the baptism of John was a baptism of penance, but penance did not belong to Christ, who had no sin. Therefore, it seems that he ought not to have been baptized by the baptism of John.

[16:56] Seems like a good argument, doesn't it? Moreover, the baptism of John, as Chrysostom says, was in the middle between the baptism of the Jews and the baptism of Christ. But the middle savors the nature of the extremes, huh? Since therefore Christ was not baptized by the Judaic baptism, nor also by his own, it seems that for like reason he ought not to be baptized by the baptism of what John.

[17:37] Like it's a mixture of what he was not baptized by, right? Moreover, everything that is best in human things ought to be attributed to Christ. But the baptism of John does not hold the highest place among baptisms. Therefore, it does not belong to Christ to be baptized by the baptism of what John.

[18:07] But against this is what is said in Matthew three, that Christ came to the Jordan they might be baptized by John. Well, again, in the body article Thomas is going to give three reasons.

[18:27] I answer: It should be said that, as Augustine says upon John, the Lord baptized, baptized not by the baptism by which he was baptized. I keep saying that. Tongue twister. Whence,

[18:57] since he himself was baptized by what? Oh, he was baptized by his own baptism, right? It follows that he was not baptized by what his own baptism The word is in there no. But by the baptism of John, and this was suitable first, on account of the condition of the baptism of John, who did not baptize in the Spirit, but only in water.

[19:36] Now Christ did not need a spiritual baptism, who from the beginning of his conception was full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, as is clear from the things said before. And this is the reason of what? Chrysostom.

[20:01] Second, as Bede says, he was baptized by the baptism of John. That by his own baptism he might approve the baptism of John. Third, because as Gregory Nazianzen says, Christ or Jesus

[20:29] came to the baptism of John to what? Sanctify baptism or sanctify the what? The waters of baptism. How's it going then According to the ground to be baptized by John and be sanctified baptism.

[21:00] What? Sanctity of the waters Yeah. Yeah That's a future thing isn't it. Kind of funny that first reason there, in a sense he's saying that there's not the same objections to the baptism of John as it would be to the baptism of Christ for Christ's sake.

[21:45] But that's more or less removing an impediment to suitability of his receiver. The second reason is more affirmative. Any further? Sorry, the third one. Curious the way Thomas is ordering this, huh? In the previous article, the first argument was.

[22:19] The one not to be cleansed himself, but to cleanse the waters, right? That seems to correspond to the third argument here, right? Yeah. So he's kind of removing the objection right to being baptized by John. I don't know if they've explained that from the pulpit in my church or

[22:44] not. Okay. To the first, therefore, it should be said, the one about baptism and penance, right? And as has been said above, Christ wished to be baptized that he might, by his example, induce us to what baptism, huh?

[23:25] And therefore, in order that this inducing might be more efficacious, right? He wished to be baptized by baptism that manifest he did not need. That's kind of strange, he says. That men might accede to baptism which they need. Sounds like it's the reverse of what he's saying. Hence

[23:53] Ambrose says upon Luke, "Let no one refuse the the washing of grace, when Christ did not refuse the penance." Yeah. Strange. Doesn't make any sense for Christ to go to confession that he might what induce us to go to confession, right?

[24:33] Yeah. But did he receive his own body and blood? I don't think he would do that, would he? Baptism, huh? Interesting. I guess because the other this is the only sacrament that really I can't think of anything off the top of my head. All the other sacraments seem to be ordered to the good of the individual, but in a certain way, Baptism is the good of the nature.

[25:08] I mean, it affects the individual, yeah, but it's not really directed to the whole human nature. What's most necessary of the sacraments, right? I mean, when Christ sends them forth, there at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, he doesn't speak of any sacraments except baptism, right? Which doesn't mean there aren't the sacraments to administer, but but that's the one mentioned there, right?

[25:44] Now the next one was about the baptism being between the two baptisms, right? And neither one of those the TBC, right? To the second, it should be said that the baptism of the Jews commanded in the in the law was only was that now?

[26:05] Yeah, was yeah. I mean, what is that one that was commanded in the? I don't know. Washing their hands all the time. And like for leprosy and uh so you have to go out and Okay. wash Maybe so. So it's only figurative, right? But the baptism of John, in some way, was real, in so far as it induced men that they abstained from sin. But the baptism of Christ had the efficacy of cleansing from sin and conferring what grace, huh?

[26:51] That's what the Hebrew says. Gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, but deal only with food and drink and various ablutions and maybe the word in Greek. baptisms

[27:06] Christ, however, neither needed to receive the remission of sins, which were not in him, nor to receive grace with which he was full. But likewise, since he is truth itself, it does not belong to him that he what undergo or do. or do something. What is only a what figure, right? And therefore, it was more suitable that he be baptized by the middle baptism than the extremes, huh?

[27:43] Which lies in the mean, huh? That's not true, because you got two two bases here, but. Was interesting. He's full of grace and truth, as John says, and being full of grace, he doesn't receive the baptism of the new church, right? New law, and then because he's he's truth, he doesn't receive the figurative one. So that's kind of subtle ways. Carries on it. Now, why don't you do it the best, right?

[28:30] To the third, it should be said that baptism is a certain what spiritual remedy, right? And the more something is perfect, the less it needs what, remedy or it needs a lesser remedy, right? Yeah. Whence from this that Christ was maxime perfectus, most of all perfect. It was not. It was suitable that he be not baptized by the most perfect baptism, just as the one who is healthy does not need what efficacious medicine.

[29:31] This is giving me any of the reasons why he doesn't need our baptism, right? Simple to that. Let us go to the time of the baptism here now. To the third one goes forward. Thus, it seems that Christ was not baptized in a suitable time.

[29:57] For Christ was baptized for this reason that by his example he might provoke others to baptism. But the faithful of Christ are praiseworthily baptized not only before the thirtieth year, but also in infantile age. or Maria. Therefore, it seems that Christ ought not to be baptized at the age of thirty. Right.

[30:34] Moreover, Christ is not read is not read to have taught or to have done miracles. Right. Before the baptism, right. But it would have been more useful to the world if he had taught for what a longer time, beginning from his twentieth year or even before. It wasn't the temple there, right? Twelve. Well, you should begin maybe at twelve? to qualify. Therefore, it seems that Christ, who came for the utility of men, ought to have been baptized before his thirtieth year, right?

[31:13] To wait that long. That would be encouraging us to wait, you know, to yeah, to yeah. Moreover, the sign of wisdom, I suppose, defined divinely poured in, most ought to be manifest in Christ. But it was made made known in Daniel in the time of his what childhood, according to that of Daniel thirteen. The Lord took on the what or raised up, I should say, the Holy Spirit of the junior boy, right, whose name was Daniel.

[32:06] Therefore, much more should Christ in his youth or boyhood be baptized, right? Yeah. Teach. Moreover, the baptism of John was ordered to the baptism of Christ as to an end, but the end is before in intention and afterwards in being carried out. Therefore, either you have to first be baptized by John or what? Last.

[32:48] But again, this is what is said in Luke three twenty one. It was brought about that when the what whole people were baptized, and Jesus was baptized and praying, and Jesus was beginning around his thirtieth year, right? That's in the gospel. Luke. I answer. It should be said that at this time here.

[33:18] Okay. I answer. It should be said that Christ was suitably baptized in his thirtieth year. Can't say justify this Thomas. First, because Christ was baptized, as it were, from then from that moment, right, beginning to teach and to what preach. Yeah. Because Thomas, in the commentary, you know, he has these two chapters. There, the one where Christ is baptized, and the chapter where he's tempted, right? And it's because the teacher has to be what crowned with the with the spiritual benefits, right?

[33:58] And then he has to be tried, you know, to make sure he's he's solid and so on. Then he can go out and teach, right?

[34:06] You know, as at Plato, you know, had this idea that they would take the young men and have a party for them, you know, and supply them with wine and so on. And then, unbeknownst to them, they're being watched, you know, and they would see those who who drink moderately or could hold their liquor and so on. And then those who got silly and crazy, and then they know who to who to advance, who not to, right?

[34:30] So that's kind of there should be some kind of test before you give it a position of authority or to rule or to teach or something like that. So Christ was, you know, following this, you know, he had to be confirmed by, as it were, spiritually stamped, so to speak, and then tested by these things. Anyways, he says,

[34:58] but to this is required perfecta aetas perfect age, right? Such as is that of thirty years, huh? Why would be I? What am I doing here?

[35:26] Yeah, definitely. Aristotle says, the mind is best at forty nine. Seven times seven. You know, seven is the age of reason, right? And of course, as Thomas says, you know, a number multiplied by itself has the same signification, right? But kind of expanding it, right? So seven times seven is forty nine.

[35:45] Whence Genesis forty one forty six, it is read that Joseph was thirty years old when he began what? Yeah. How do you have to be to be in the Senate? You have to be older than to be in those representatives.

[36:03] What is it? I forget in the Constitution now. You have to be thirty to be a senator. I think you have to be thirty, don't you? To be forty to be a senator. Senator, you know, senator is supposed to be more. More wiser, yeah. I don't know. Was the president at forty? Forty-five. I don't know about president. I know all those champions. He was about forty-five, wasn't he?

[36:31] Yeah, Bannifer's. Yeah. Anyway, it'd be interesting for history to check out the Constitution. I can't speak here without after. So anyway, Joseph was thirty years old when he took on the rule of Egypt, right?

[36:53] Likewise, in the second book of Kings, is read of David that he was thirty years when he began to rule. So these these are figures of Christ, aren't they? Yeah. And Ezekiel, in the thirty year, began to prophesy, right? Huh. So he gives three examples here of. To change one of them isn't a priest, then you have all three of them. Yeah, priest, prophet, and king. Yeah, that's interesting.

[37:23] He's got a prophet and a king, and then Joseph. I don't know what figure Yeah. Okay. Secondly, because as Chrysostom says, upon Matthew, it would be what in the future that after the baptism of Christ, the law began to what come to an end, right?

[37:59] And therefore, in this age, Christ came to baptism. Who was able to what take on all sins? That the law being observed, no one could say that therefore he um dissolved dissolved it because he was not able to what fulfill it, huh? He can't be dissolved anymore. He had to live to the age of thirty to to prove that he was. Fulfilled the law. Yeah, be saying you know that.

[38:44] You could observe the law, and therefore you didn't dissolve it because you couldn't observe it. Yeah. What's the law concerning? Just all that. Did you rack up the most sins when you hit thirty? I mean, that seems to be what they're saying, doesn't it? Baptism of this age, which admits of all sins. What's that mean? Oh, well, that's not maybe the. I don't know if that's the way to translate that.

[39:14] He can't. Therefore, this age, Christ came to baptism, which he was able to. Is Christ, or are you talking about the age yet? That's the question. Or what? That Christ was able to take on all sins. Christ, right? What looks, because it's saying that, lest it be thought that he he couldn't fulfill the law and hence abolished it. for that. Reason, yeah. But what was the law he was fulfilling by Oh, all the law, the whole of the law.

[39:48] Okay, I see, As opposed to skipping over circumcision and so on, going right into baptism. Yeah, yeah. Just to fulfill everything, he did everything that the law required, and that way fulfilled it rather than just saying, "Oh, you're all dispensed on it because he did." it. Third, because through this that Christ was baptized in a perfect age, is given to be understood that baptism brings forth what?

[40:22] Perfect men, right? According to that in Ephesians chapter four, until we what come together all in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God in a what? Perfect man. Perfect man in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ. Whence also the propriety of the number seems to pertain to this, for the number thirty arises from the leading of three into ten, right?

[40:56] Through three is understood the faith, of the Trinity, and through ten the fulfillment of the commandments of the law. And in these two consists the perfection of what? Three times ten.

[41:20] So is little Clara Maria going to be perfect now when she gets baptized? In some way. The most innocent of us all, there. Baptism.

[41:54] Don't they say you know that we will resurrect at the age of thirty, right? And so, that must be the perfect age, right? For to resurrect at the at the age of thirty. Remember back when I was thirty, never was that. Lord was thirty-three when he resurrected. What age do they

[42:26] ordain a man anyway? We just have a couple deacons here now, and I think see twenty-six is the minimum in the canon law now. Yeah. Used to be younger. Twenty-six is younger. I was ordained at thirty. I observed. I made sure. All took. It was okay. Let's

[43:04] look at the Constitution. It's twenty-five and thirty, I think, as an age. Anyways, you've got to be older for the Senate, you know. And they're wasn't there probably Teddy Kennedy just got turning thirty or something when he tried to succeed his brother, and there was kind of a question. But he never arrived at wisdom either. God rest his immortal soul. Yeah. The saying there's no fool like an old fool.

[43:33] Came there there old before your time. What do you mean? Old before your wise. Kennedy from Rhode Island was screaming in the in the house the other day. I saw part of it on TV. Okay.

[44:07] I hear he's retiring or whatever. Yeah, he is. Yeah, he's finished. I think. So, must be the perfect age. That's age we rise at. That's that's what convinces me.

[44:44] So, so Clara Maria will be 30 there, uh, figuratively speaking. Okay. To the first, therefore, it should be said that, as Gregory Nazianzen says, Christ was not baptized as if he needed what Purgation.

[45:19] Nor was any danger imminent for him by deferring his what baptism, right? Huh. But to anybody else, right? It's not. It's not a little danger, right? Huh. If he goes forth in this light, not clothed with the vestment of what incorruption, which is grace,

[45:44] and therefore it is good. And although it is good after baptism to guard or keep one's cleanliness, right? It is nevertheless what better, huh? as he says, Gregory,

[46:08] for some time to be what a little bit holy spirit, holy spirit. Then to lack grace, well, the chief of the danger there, right?

[46:25] Shakespeare's day was custom right to baptize them the third day after their birth. That's why you know they don't even have a record of Shakespeare's day of birth, but they do have a record of his day of what baptism. So to go back three days, that's the day he died. on. Oh, really? Yeah. So they always talk about that in you know Brutus there, I mean, Cassius there in the play, right?

[46:53] What day is this? You know, the last battle there, you know, it's not his birthday. And of course, he says, "well, this is when I came in, this is when I'm going to go out." That's kind of you know it feels, it's remarkable about Shakespeare himself, right? He goes out on the day he came in. huh?

[47:11] The Lord slumbers not who guards your coming and going. Yeah, yeah. You are going in and coming out. Kind of the circle. The reality is a circle. The good to say, happy man who can join the end of his life to the beginning of it, right? That's right. Isn't that something that Chesterton said? One of the last things he said. Pierce brings out in the biography. I can't remember the thing

[47:40] how it goes, but one of the last things he said: he kind of woke up, he was unconscious, and woke up and saw his wife. Oh, hello, dear. It's like the last thing he said: as he's going out, he greets the lady coming in, or something. I can't remember. My end and somewhere else, they he used that as a quote from another thing in Chesterton where he said, "My end is my beginning," and I forget the context, but I think, Pierce makes that connection.

[48:09] But he had his birthday. No, no, but he's in that same way. I know. That's another thing that's a little aside, but I mean, I mean, the Odyssey there, you know, of course, says a lot about going back over the wine dark sea to the beloved land of your fathers, right? But that everybody wants to go back to his his his home, you know. Yeah. And you know, you know, you find you know that they also refer to heaven as our patria, right?

[48:44] So we're you know like in the. Yeah, Holy Queen, you know that we're in our exile, right? Huh? That's a common image, but you kind of see this in Homer, you know. The idea that this is wants to go back, you know, to his home.

[49:04] I guess that's one of the great. uh, I don't want to call it? disillusionment, but it's something of a realization as you get as you, mature, is that you can't go back to your home, at least here in this world. Everybody kind of wants to go back to childhood, yeah, the happiness of innocence and all the rest, of it. Right? Can't do it. We're moving towards it, in some way, but that's not it.

[49:28] Well, my friend, Washington Irving, you know, coming back to the United States after 17 years in Europe, there, you know, and didn't know what to expect, you know, but he wanted to come back.

[49:41] Okay. Okay, we did second objection, right? Okay. Now, why didn't he start teaching? Why did he give such a short teaching career? To second, it should be said that the utility which came from Christ to men is especially through faith and what humility. Interesting. To both of which it was valuable that Christ did not begin to teach in his what youth, nor in his what adolescence, his boyhood, or in his adolescence, but in a perfect age, right?

[50:36] For for faith, because through this is shown in him true humanity, right? Who through the what increments of time progressed or progressed bodily, and lest this progression be seen thought to be fantastic, right, or imaginative, he did not wish to manifest his wisdom and his virtue before the perfect age of his what body.

[51:11] I guess don't they say that? I think I read that that they say our body keeps growing until about the age of thirty. Start off with that. We start losing. It grows in a different way. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, maybe you know before that you did most of your growth, but you keep on the body still growing up until about. the age of 30. It's kind of maturing, yeah, It's still maturing, I mean, not just declining, but it's actually maturing.

[51:36] Yeah, yeah. So that'd be kind of an argument for this being the perfect body age of these, right? Now, with a solid mind and a solid body. Because

[51:54] here he's talking about he wanted what manifest his wisdom and his virtue before the perfect age of the body, right? To humility, however, lest before the perfect age, someone what assumed presum presum presumptuous is all you can say of of pride, right? The grade of prelate and the office of what teaching?

[52:26] Just reading about a character I didn't know anything about William Walker in American history, and he he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nashville there, his home state, at the age of fourteen, I think it was, and then but he became you know kind of a I guess the word filibuster meant really originally a, what kind of a pirate, right? And so he he he was influenced by the you know conquest of the Mexican War, right, and so on.

[52:58] And he gathered much people together, right? And he went down to Baja California and seized power, right, down there, declaring himself independent, so on. And they tried to invade the mainland there, Mexico, and he got repulsed finally. So back in the United States, you know, then a few years later, he he goes down to Nicaragua and he overcomes and takes over the capital and so on. And he gets recognized by President Franklin Pierce as the governor of Nicaragua.

[53:27] And then, of course, you know the the different countries come in with their armies. You know, he's forced out of Nicaragua, right? So then, you know, third time he goes back, you know, a few years later, he, goes back and has his guys, and he goes in Honduras, right? And then he you know finally gets pushed out of Honduras, and they turn over to the Honduras authorities and firing squads.

[53:52] That's in it, right? But he, you know, started off quick, you know, age of fourteen summa cum laude, right? Then he traveled around Europe, you know, and went to medical schools, and then he came back and practiced medicine, got bored with that, Then he went and practiced law, got bored with that. His fiancee died in a cholera epidemic, you know, so shouldn't have a woman holding him down, you know.

[54:15] These crazy things, and then, but you don't realize these things, huh? You know, this is the time. What was his name? Uh, William Walker. William Walker. Yeah, I didn't even know about him. I just just read about him the other day. What age did he die at Oh, he'd be. He's pretty young. He's still pretty young. I know what year he was now. So this early twentieth century.

[54:36] No, no, this would be in the eighteen forties, eighteen fifties around that time. When he's doing this, yeah, but they had created you know manifest manifest destiny, and the word had been invented, you know, and you know he's getting southerners, you know, especially to go So I realized how those things were.

[54:58] That guy, that younger guy that they found in the caves in Afghanistan, his name Walker Johnny Walker Johnny Walker, right? Like the whiskey. Yeah, I don't know. Johnny Walker, American. I got interested to know the Muslims and the soldiers found the caves and so I don't know what happened to him. He was arrested, put in jail over here for treason or whatever. But

[55:28] so that's kind of interesting, huh? That Christ that we know from his being the temple that he could have done this obviously at age right. Down these newborn, that better, yeah, yeah, man. But that would have detracted from what, True humanity. from our belief in this true humanity, right? It would be too too shocking, right? And then, then give an example of humility, right? Rather than

[56:02] seizing, take on the role of teacher too early, right? Or miracle working—that's what the apocryphal gospels are full of that, you know. When he was a child, and he made a clay bird, they blow off, or some child was nasty to him so he struck him dead. you know.

[56:20] A little too much. Okay. Now the third objection was was comparing Christ to Daniel, right? Now, okay. To third, it should be said that Christ is proposed to men as an example of all, right?

[56:45] Of all men, huh? And therefore, it is necessary to be shown in him that which belongs to all, according to the common what law. That to it in a perfect age he would what teach him,

[57:04] but as Gregory Nazianzus says, it is not a law of the Church what happens what rarely, huh? Just as one what swell does not make what. Yeah, yeah. Now, Chris, that's what that's that's where Aristotle uses that same, yeah.

[57:31] But to some, through a what or from a special dispensation, according to the what reason of divine wisdom, it has been conceded that apart from the common law. That before a what perfect age, they had the office of presiding or of teaching. Now those two things that he spoke of before in terms of his humility, right? As what Solomon, right? So Solomon, an early age, yeah. And Daniel, and what Jeremiah?

[58:13] Jeremiah. He's from the womb, yeah. Or actually, I was just saying when he was years. You Daniel's a boy was was prophesying. Great man, Daniel Jeremiah. Joseph and David and Ezekiel following the common law, right? Yeah, because he, yeah, the ones you give it, getting his body there. I just remember that passage, yeah. You know, we've heard it before. Joseph, Joseph, yeah, David and Ezekiel, yeah.

[59:08] So the he's given a reason now why you suspect David and Ezekiel and so on foreshadow Christ rather than these guys here, not the common ways. I think the senate is thirty. I have to check it again, but it must be. And twenty-five, I think, is for the house.

[59:32] Remember the youngest isn't. Yeah, I wonder how how common it is to have someone representative that young. Yeah, twenty-five. Yeah, how often happens? Yeah. Probably not that often They're not close enough. Not rotten enough. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. To the fourth, it should be said that Christ ought neither to be the first nor the last baptized by John, because, as Chrysostom says upon Matthew, Christ for this was baptized that he might confirm the preaching and the baptism of John, right?

[1:00:21] And that he might receive testimony from John, but that would not be believed the testimony of John except after many were had been baptized by him, right?

[1:00:35] And therefore he ought not to be the first to be baptized by John, right? And likewise neither the last, huh? Because as he himself adds, just as the light of the sun does not what. Wait until the

[1:00:57] falling of the star. That's that's the sunset star, I suppose. But it proceeding, it goes forth, and by its light it obscures the what.

[1:01:16] Thus also Christ did not expect that John would what. Of course, but he did not wait exactly till John existed. Right. But he's still teaching and baptizing. He appeared, huh? So that the sun doesn't wait till the setting of the morning star. Mhm. Before it comes up. Mhm. It, uh, overcomes it. Mhm. Yeah. That's good.

[1:01:44] Gotta stop now, it's almost 4. Yeah.