Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Q20 A4: Whether God always loves more the better things?

Yes. God loves more the better things because it has been shown that God's loving one thing more than another is nothing else than His willing for that thing a greater good: because God's will is the cause of goodness in things (and the reason why some things are better than others, is that God wills for them a greater good).

God loves Christ not only more than He loves the whole human race, but more than He loves the entire created universe: because He willed for Him the greater good in giving Him "a name that is above all names," insofar as He was true God.

God loves the human nature assumed by the Word of God in the person of Christ more than He loves all the angels; for that nature is better, especially on the ground of the union with the Godhead.

But speaking of human nature in general, and comparing it with the angelic, the two are found equal, in the order of grace and of glory: since according to Rev 21:17, the measure of a man and of an angel is the same. Yet so that, in this respect, some angels are found nobler than some men, and some men nobler than some angels. But as to natural condition an angel is better than a man.

God therefore did not assume human nature because He loved man, absolutely speaking, more; but because the needs of man were greater (just as the master of a house may give some costly delicacy to a sick servant, that he does not give to his own son in sound health).