Could it be possible that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was ever made “less than the
angels” even for “a little while”? This phrase is borrowed from Psalm 8:5, “You have
made him little less than the angels,” describing the dignity of a human being.
The Letter to the Hebrews speaks uses the expression as though Jesus was “for a little
while” diminished. Was Jesus lower than the angels in the Incarnation, when he took
our human nature?
Thomas Aquinas insists that even Jesus’ human nature was superior to the angels: “For
as to the nature of the human mind, which Christ assumed without sin, nothing is
greater but the Trinity alone… by reason of His excellent grace Christ in His human
nature is greater than the angels” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 122).
Thomas thinks that Jesus wasn’t diminished in Himself. His suffering and death had the
appearance of being lowered not only to angels but also to humans. Hebrews speaks of
this lowering as a condition that “he might taste death” (Heb 2:9). According to Isaiah,
the suffering servant will be “Despised and the most abject of men” (Is. 53:2).
Why did God allow His Son to suffer such indignity? Thomas understands Jesus’
suffering as the result of God entrusting His Son to us: “Only God’s grace was the
cause, for that alone led Him to give His only begotten Son” (Commentary on the Letter
to the Hebrews, 124).
Two passages support Thomas’s conviction: “God so loved the world as to give his only
begotten Son” (Jn. 3:16); “But God commends his charity toward us, when as yet we
were sinners according to the time Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
Our resistance caused Jesus’ suffering. Grace came to us as a result of Jesus’
suffering. Thomas notes that Jesus Himself is the “author of grace”: “Grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:17).
Jesus’ suffering offered grace to everyone: “By the grace of God of God He might taste
death for everyone” (Heb 1:9) Christ died for all.
Thomas says that “so far as sufficiency is concerned; for of itself it is sufficient for all:
‘Who is the savior of all, but especially of the faithful’ (1 Tim. 4:10)” (Commentary on the
Letter to the Hebrews, 125).
Thomas quotes John Chrysostom to explain that God offers salvation to all but we are
capable of rejecting the gift: “He died for all in general, because the price was sufficient
for all. And if all do not believe, He nevertheless fulfilled His part” (Commentary on the
Letter to the Hebrews, 125).
Jesus did not welcome suffering, as Matthew’s Gospel records, “If it be possible, let this
chalice pass from Me” (Mt 26:39). Hebrews describes His suffering as “tasting”: “that He
might taste death” Thomas comments, “Taste is a discerner of flavor; hence one who
tastes discerns more than one who drinks. Therefore, to say that He tasted death and

pain, and that His death was not imaginary” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews,
126).
Again, Thomas finds “tasting” to refer to the voluntary nature of Jesus’ suffering: “… just
as tasting or not tasting lie in the power of the taster, so also the Passion of Christ was
voluntary: ‘I have the power to lay down My life’ (Jn. 10:18)” (Commentary on the Letter
to the Hebrews, 127).
Hebrews declares: “He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many to
glory should make the pioneer of that salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb 2:10).
Thomas explains that the Father is the cause of Jesus’ death: “God the Father is the
cause of Christ’s death, since He is the One by whom all things exist as by an efficient
cause, and for whom all things exist, as for a final cause (Commentary on the Letter to
the Hebrews, 127).
Hebrews says “It was fitting.” What was fitting for Him? “This, namely, that He should
make perfect the pioneer of their salvation … that they become sons and be brought
into their inheritance. That they are sons they owe to the natural Son: ‘Whom He
foreknew He also predestined to be made conformable to the image of His son’ (Rom.
8:29) (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 128).
Why is Jesus the leader or pioneer? “They obtain glory and the inheritance only through
Him Whose inheritance it is by right and Who is the brightness of glory. Therefore,
because we obtain those two things through the Son, He is fittingly called the pioneer of
salvation: ‘He will save his people from their sins’ (Mt. 1:21); ‘Looking on Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith’ (Heb. 12:12).
Therefore, it was fitting that the Father sent the author of salvation, namely, His Son,
Who had brought many sons into glory” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews,
128).
How is Jesus perfected by suffering? “To be perfected through suffering, i.e., by merit.
For He, as the natural Son, is altogether perfect, but because He was lessened in the
Passion He had to be made perfect by the merit of the Passion: ‘Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory’ (Lk. 24:26)?” (Commentary on
the Letter to the Hebrews, 128).
The Father created all things to show His goodness: “All things are for Him, because
they are for communicating His goodness: and this was the cause inducing Him to
produce things, and thus all things are finally for God: ‘The Lord has made all things for
Himself’ (Pr. 16:4) (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 127).
All things are made by the Father: ‘Who made heaven and the sea and all things in it’
(Ps. 145:6); ‘I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end’ (Rev. 1:8). ‘Of
Him and by Him and in Him are all things’ (Rom. 11:36). God provides for all things: ‘He
has equally cared for all’ (Wis. 6:8).
The cause of creation was the grace of God but grace leads to glory. Hebrews says that
God brought many sons to glory: “He has one perfect Son naturally: ‘Therefore, having

yet one son most dear to him’ (Mk 12:6); but the others are adopted and, therefore,
must be brought into glory” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 127).
Hebrews declares: “He who consecrates and those who are consecrated have one and
the same Father” (Heb 2:10).
Christ is the cause of salvation so we depend upon Him. The Father makes the Son
perfect so the Son depends upon the Father. The Father brings us to glory so we
depend upon Him.
Thomas explains: “We depend on Christ, for the one sanctified depends on the
sanctifier: ‘Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His own blood, suffered
without the gate’ (Heb. 13:12)… He is the author and sanctifier, we depend on Him; but
He depends on the Father, from Whom He has power to sanctify … He that sanctifies
and we who are sanctified, have one origin, namely, of the Father … ‘Heirs of God; co-
heirs with Christ’ (Rom. 8:17).
Hebrews declares: “He is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Heb 2:11). Thomas
comments: “Christ, as the mediator and author of salvation, brings God’s gifts to us…
‘That he might be the firstborn among many brethren’ (Rom. 8:29). ‘Go to my brethren’
(Jn. 20:17); ‘Father, I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me’
(Jn. 17:6).

Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.