dance of riches and beggary, in as far as these are occasions of
sin: since abundance of riches is an occasion for being proud; and
beggary is an occasion of thieving and lying, or even of perjury. But
forasmuch as Christ was incapable of sin, He had not the same motive
as Solomon for avoiding these things. Yet neither is every kind of
beggary an occasion of theft and perjury, as Solomon seems to add
(Prov. 30:8); but only that which is involuntary, in order to avoid
which, a man is guilty of theft and perjury. But voluntary poverty is
not open to this danger: and such was the poverty chosen by Christ.

Reply Obj. 2: A man may feed and clothe himself in conformity with
others, not only by possessing riches, but also by receiving the
necessaries of life from those who are rich. This is what happened in
regard to Christ: for it is written (Luke 8:2, 3) that certain women
followed Christ and "ministered unto Him of their substance." For, as
Jerome says on Matt. 27:55, "It was a Jewish custom, nor was it
thought wrong for women, following the ancient tradition of their
nation, out of their private means to provide their instructors with
food and clothing. But as this might give scandal to the heathens,
Paul says that he gave it up": thus it was possible for them to be
fed out of a common fund, but not to possess wealth, without their
duty of preaching being hindered by anxiety.

Reply Obj. 3: Humility is not much to be praised in one who is poor
of necessity. But in one who, like Christ, is poor willingly, poverty
itself is a sign of very great humility.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 40, Art. 4]

Whether Christ Conformed His Conduct to the Law?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did not conform His conduct to
the Law. For the Law forbade any work whatsoever to be done on the
Sabbath, since God "rested on the seventh day from all His work which
He had done." But He healed a man on the Sabbath, and commanded him
to take up his bed. Therefore it seems that He did not conform His
conduct to the Law.

Obj. 2: Further, what Christ taught, that He also did, according to
Acts 1:1: "Jesus began to do and to teach." But He taught (Matt.
15:11) that "not" all "that which goeth into the mouth defileth a
man": and this is contrary to the precept of the Law, which declared
that a man was made unclean by eating and touching certain animals,
as stated Lev. 11. Therefore it seems that He did not conform His
c