The Centurion's Approach to our Lord.

385

HOMILY XXVI.

MATT. viii. 5.

And when He was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

THE leper came unto Him when He was come down from the mountain, but this centurion, when He was entered into Capernaum. Wherefore then did neither the one nor the other go up into the mountain? Not out of remissness, for indeed the faith of them both was fervent, but in order not to interrupt His teaching.

But having come unto Him, he saith, My servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. Now some say, that by way of excuse he mentioned also the cause, why he had not brought him. "For neither was it possible," saith he, "paralyzed as he was, and tormented, and at his last gasp, to lift and convey him." For that he was at the point of expiring, Luke saith; He was even ready to die1. But I'Luke 7, 2. say, this is a sign of his having great faith, even much greater than theirs, who let one down through the roof. For be- Luke 5, 19. cause he knew for certain, that even a mere command was enough for the raising up of the patient, he thought it superfluous to bring him.

What then doth Jesus? What He had in no case done before, here He doeth. For whereas on every occasion He was used to follow the wish of His supplicants, here

XXVI.

1, 2.

386

Our Lord's Dealings with the Centurion.

HOMIL. He rather springs toward it, and offers not only to heal him, but also to come to the house. And this He doth, that we might learn the virtue of the centurion. For if He had not made this offer, but had said, " Go thy way, let thy servant be healed;" we should have known none of these things. This at least He did, in an opposite way, in the case also of the Phoenician woman. For here, when not summoned to the house, of His own accord He saith, He will come, that thou mightest learn the centurion's faith and great humility; but in the case of the Phoenician woman, He both refuses the grant, and drives her, persevering therein, to great perplexity.

For being a wise physician and full of resources, He knows how to bring about contraries the one by the other". And as here by His freely-offered coming, so there by His peremptory putting off and denial, He unfolds the woman's faith. So likewise He doth in Abraham's case, saying, I Gen. will by no means hide from Abraham My servant'; to make thee know that man's kindly affection, and his care for 2 Gen. Sodom. And in the instance of Lot', they that were sent refuse to enter into his house, to make thee know the greatness of that righteous man's hospitality.

18, 17.

19, 2.

v. 8.

v. 9.

What then saith the centurion? I am not meet that thou shouldest come under my roof. Let us hearken, as many as are to receive Christ: for it is possible to receive Him even now. Let us hearken, and emulate, and receive Him with as great zeal; for indeed, when thou receivest a poor man who is hungry and naked, thou hast received and cherished Him.

[2.] But say in a word only, and my servant shall be healed. See this man also, how, like the leper, he hath the right opinion touching Him. For neither did this one say, entreat," nor did he say, " pray, and beseech," but "command only." And then from fear lest out of modesty He refuse, He saith,

66

For I also am a man under authority, having under me

· διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὰ ἐνάντια. The argument seems to require rà avrà, "the same things by opposite means:"

but no MS. authority appears for such a change.

His Encouragement to those who magnified Him. 387 soldiers; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to MATT. another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, 9, 10. and he doeth it.

one, if the centurion did
question is, whether Christ

suspect it to be so? For the
affirmed and ratified as much." Thou speakest well, and very
sensibly. Let us then look to this very thing; and we shall
find what happened in the case of the leper, the same
happening here likewise. For even as the leper said, If
thou wilt, (and not from the leper only are we positive about
His authority, but also from the voice of Christ; in that, so
far from putting an end to the suspicion, He did even confirm
it more, by adding what were else superfluous to say, in the
phrase, I will, be thou cleansed, in order to establish that
man's doctrine :) so here too, it is right to see whether any
such thing occurred. In fact, we shall find this same thing
again taking place. For when the centurion had spoken
such words, and had testified His so great prerogative; so
far from blaming, He did even approve it, and did somewhat
more than approve it. For neither hath the Evangelist said,
that He praised the saying only, but declaring a certain
earnestness in His praise, that He even marvelled; and
neither did He simply marvel, but in the presence also of the
whole people, and set IIim as an example to the rest, that
they should emulate Him.

VIII.

Seest thou how each of them that bore witness of His authority is marvelled at? And the multitudes were astonished v. 2. at His doctrine, because He taught as one having authority; and so far from blaming them, He both took them with Him when He came down, and by His words of cleansing to the leper, confirmed their judgment. Again, that leper said, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and so far from rebuking, He on the contrary cleansed him by such treatment as He had said. Again, this centurion saith, Speak v. 8. the word only, and my servant shall be healed: and marvelling at him, He said, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

v. 10.

Now, to convince thee of this by the opposite also; Martha having said nothing of this sort, but on the contrary, Whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, He will give1 John

1

11, 22.

2, 3.

11,

40.

388 Christ encouraged high Doctrine touching Himself.

HOMIL. Thee; so far from being praised, although an acquaintance, XXVI. and dear to Him, and one of them that had shewn great zeal toward Him, she was rather rebuked and corrected by Him, as 1 John not having spoken well: in that He said to her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? blaming her, as though she did not even yet believe. And again, because she had said, Whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, He will give Thee; to lead her away from such a surmise, and to teach her that He needs not to receive from another, but is Himself the Fountain of all good things, 2ibid.25. He saith, I am the Resurrection and the Life2; that is to ingyılar say, "I wait not to receive active power, but work all of Myself."

v. 10. comp.

Wherefore at the centurion He both marvels, and prefers him to all the people, and honours him with the gift of the kingdom, and provokes the rest to the same zeal. And to shew thee that for this end He so spake, viz. for the instructing of the rest to believe in like manner, listen to the exactness of the Evangelist, how he hath intimated it. For,

Jesus, saith He, turned Him about, and said to them that Luke 7, followed Him, I have not found so great faith, no, not in

It follows, that to have high imaginations concerning Him, this especially is of faith, and tends to procure the kingdom and His other blessings. For neither did His praise reach to words only, but He both restored the sick man whole, in recompence of his faith, and weaves for him a glorious crown, and promises great gifts, saying on this wise,

v.11,12. Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down in the bosoms of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out.

v. 13.

αιρέσει

Thus, since He had shewn many miracles, He proceeds to talk with them more unreservedly.

Then, that no one might suppose His words to come of flattery, but that all might be aware that such was the mind of the centurion, He saith,

Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And straightway the work followed, bearing witness to his character1.

And his servant was healed from that hour.