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Healing of the centurion's servant

Matt 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10 · Early ministry in Galilee

Scripture

Matthew 8:5–13

nd when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

King James Version · public domain

Mateu 8:5–13

dhe Jisuj kur hyri ndë Kapernaum, i erdhi përanë një urdhër-qindës, dyke lutur’ ati, e dyke thënë, 6Zot, shërbëtori im dergjetë ndë shtëpit ulok, e mundonetë keq. 7Edhe Jisuj i thot’ ati, Unë dotë vinj e dot’a shëronj. 8Edhe urdhër-qindësi upërgjeq e tha, Zot, nukë jam i-zoti të më hynjç ndënë strehët; po thuaj vetëmë një fjalë, edhe shërbëtori im dotë shëronetë. 9Sepse edhe unë jam një njeri ndënë urdhërë; edhe i them këti, Shko, edhe shkon; edhe tjatërit, Eja, edhe vjen; edhe shërbëtorit t’im, Bëj këtë, edhe e bën. 10Edhe Jisuj kur dëgjoj uçudit, e u tha atyre që i vininë prapa, Me të vërtetë u them juve, se as ndë Israilt nukë kam gjeturë kaqë besë. 11Edhe po u them juve, se shumë dotë vijnë nga të-lindurit’ e nga të-perënduarit’ e djellit, edhe dotë rrinë bashkë me Avraaminë e me Isaakunë e me Jakovinë ndë mbretërit të qiejvet; 12Po të bijt’ e mbretërisë dotë hidhenë nd’errësirët të-përjashtësme; atje dotë jetë të-qarët’ e të-kërcëlliturit’ e dhëmbëvet. 13Edhe Jisuj i tha urdhërqindësit, Shko, edhe t’ubëftë sindëkur besove. Edhe shërbëtor’ i ati ushërua që mb’atë herë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

Summary

Christ marvels, a rare word in the Gospels, at the faith of a Gentile soldier and declares it greater than any He has found in Israel. The Fathers note that He does this openly, before the crowd, so that the centurion's faith might become a lesson to all: St. John Chrysostom dwells on this public wonder as deliberate teaching, and on the surprising union in one man of high command with deep lowliness. The centurion's humility ("I am not worthy that you should come under my roof") and his grasp of authority ("only say the word") are praised together, not as opposites but as the two sides of true faith. From his own ordering of soldiers he reasons rightly to the Lord's sovereign command over sickness, death, and all of nature; St. Cyril of Alexandria sees here a confession that the Word, though clothed in our flesh, is very God and works by His will alone.

In the saying that follows, "many will come from east and west" to recline at the table of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Fathers read the calling of the nations foreshadowed and the warning that descent from the patriarchs saves no one apart from faith. Chrysostom observes that the Lord speaks gently, so as not to wound the Jews who heard, yet the meaning is plain: the household of faith is gathered from the Gentiles, while the "sons of the kingdom" who refuse may be cast out.

St. Ambrose, reading Luke, attends to the centurion who does not approach in person but sends others to intercede, finding here a pattern of humility and a figure of the nations brought near. The Church has woven the centurion's words into the Liturgy at the approach to Communion, so that each communicant confesses both unworthiness and trust in the healing word of the Lord.

In their own words

He asked for the saving word, the loving assent, the all mighty utterance; and justly therefore did he win a sentence of surpassing worth

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on St. Luke, Sermon XXXV (on Luke 7:1-10), trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859

The Healing of the Centurion's Servant (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10)

Public-Domain Patristic Commentary

At Capernaum a centurion, a Gentile officer, begs Christ for his paralyzed servant. When Christ offers to come and heal him, the centurion answers, "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed," reasoning from his own command over soldiers to Christ's command over all things. Christ marvels and says, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel," and foretells that "many shall come from the east and west" into the kingdom. The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations, each Father from his own work, several as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew (St. Thomas Aquinas, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841). Nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 26 (on Matthew 8:5–13) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200126.htm

On the centurion's faith, greater even than that of the men who broke open the roof:

But I say, this is a sign of his having great faith, even much greater than theirs, who let one down through the roof. For because 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.

On "speak the word only," and the right opinion it revealed:

See this man also, how, like the leper, he has the right opinion touching Him. For neither did this one say, "entreat," nor did he say, "pray, and beseech," but "command only."

On the centurion's reasoning from his own authority to Christ's:

Wherefore he said likewise, "For I also am a man set under authority;" that is, You are God, and I man; I under authority, but Thou not under authority. If I therefore, being a man, and under authority, can do so much; far more He, both as God, and as not under authority. ... But mark thou, I pray you, how he signified that Christ is able both to overcome even death as a slave, and to command it as its master. For in saying, "come, and he comes," and "go, and he goes;" he expresses this: "If You should command his end not to come upon him, it will not come."

On how humility joined to faith won him a kingdom:

But nevertheless, though having such great faith, he still accounted himself to be unworthy. Christ however, signifying that he was worthy to have Him enter into his house, did much greater things, marvelling at him, and proclaiming him, and giving more than he had asked. For he came indeed seeking for his servant health of body, but went away, having received a kingdom.

On the calling of the Gentiles foretold in him:

For now from this time forth He proceeds to make known to all, that salvation is by faith, not by works of the law. And this is why not to Jews only, but to Gentiles also the gift so given shall be proffered, and to the latter rather than to the former.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Sermon XXXV (on Luke 7:1–10) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_03_sermons_26_38.htm

On Christ as very God even though He became flesh, who works all things by His word:

... he very beautifully displays to us the manifestation of a godlike power, in order that in every way it may be known that the Only-begotten Word of the Father is very God even though He became flesh, that is, man, ... and produces every thing by the word of his power.

On a faith reached, not through Moses or the Scriptures, but from rumour alone:

And since certainly he had never heard His personal instruction, nor seen any of His miracles, nor had met with the writings of Moses, nor searched the divine Scriptures, he could only have attained to faith in Him from simple rumours and hearsays.

On the difference between the elders' request and the centurion's faith:

Consider then, that these elders of the Jews begged Jesus to go to the house of him who requested His aid, as not being able in any other way to raise him up who was lying ill, except by going to his side: whereas the other believed that He could do it even at a distance, and effect it by the inclination of His will.

On Israel slow to believe and the nations ready, so that the Gentile's faith is crowned:

For Israel is rebuked, and is dull of understanding, and unready for faith: while the multitude of the heathen, in mind at least, is ready thoroughly both to understand and believe: so that Christ is seen by just decree rejecting His servant Israel, while He accepts and honours and crowns by His grace those who of old served the creature apart from the Creator.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament, Sermon 12 (on Matthew 8:8) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Public domain. Full text: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160312.htm

On how, by confessing himself unworthy, the centurion became worthy:

By calling himself unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come not into his house, but into his heart. Nor would he have said this with so great faith and humility, had he not borne Him in his heart, of whose coming into his house he was afraid. For it were no great happiness for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house, and yet not to be in his heart.

On the contrast with the proud Pharisee, and with Zacchaeus:

For this Master of humility both by word and example, sat down even in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, by name Simon; and though He sat down in his house, there was no place in this heart, where the Son of Man could lay His Head. ... Zacchaeus again received the Lord both in house and heart. Yet the centurion's faith is praised for its humility.

On "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel":

For he said, "I am not worthy that you should come under my roof;" and the Lord said, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel;" according to the flesh, that is. For he too was an Israelite undoubtedly according to the spirit.

St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

From his Commentary on Matthew, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the centurion's servant as a figure of the Gentiles, sick with the diseases of sin:

Spiritually interpreted, the Gentiles are the sick in this world, and afflicted with the diseases of sin, all their limbs being altogether unnerved, and unfit for their duties of standing and walking. The sacrament of their salvation is fulfilled in this centurion's servant, of whom it is sufficiently declared that he was the head of the Gentiles that should believe.

On why a word alone was asked, since the Gentiles' salvation is of faith:

Also he therefore says that it needed only a word to heal his son, because all the salvation of the Gentiles is of faith, and the life of them all is in the precepts of the Lord.

St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

From his Commentary on Matthew, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the faith and humility joined together in the centurion:

As we commend the centurion's faith in that he believed that the Saviour was able to heal the paralytic; so his humility is seen in his professing himself unworthy that the Lord should come under his roof.

On the discernment by which he saw the Godhead hidden beneath the body:

The thoughtfulness of the centurion appears herein, that he saw the Divinity hidden beneath the covering of body.

On the faith of the Gentiles preferred to that of Israel:

Or perhaps in the person of the centurion the faith of the Gentiles is preferred to that of Israel. ... Because the God of Abraham, the Maker of heaven, is the Father of Christ, therefore also is Abraham in the kingdom of heaven, and with him will sit down the nations who have believed in Christ the Son of the Creator.

On the weeping and gnashing of teeth as a proof of the resurrection of the body:

Weeping and gnashing of teeth are a proof of bones and body; truly then is there a resurrection of the same limbs, that sank into the grave.

St. Peter Chrysologus (c. 380–450)

From his Sermon 102, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the body as the house that God does not disdain to enter:

Mystically, his house was the body which contained his soul, which contains within it the freedom of the mind by a heavenly vision. But God disdains neither to inhabit flesh, nor to enter the roof of our body.

Note on other Fathers

Chrysostom and Augustine read the same wonder from two angles: the centurion's humility is not a rival to his faith but its very measure, so that "I am not worthy" is itself the height of believing. Augustine's reading, that Christ entered "not into his house, but into his heart," passed into the liturgy of the Church, where the worshipper still says "Lord, I am not worthy" before receiving. Hilary and Jerome draw out the figure hidden in the story: the paralyzed servant is the Gentile world, sick with sin and healed by faith alone at the word of the Lord, while Jerome also hears in the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" a proof of the resurrection of the very body. Peter Chrysologus turns the centurion's roof inward, to the body that God does not disdain to inhabit. The Catena Aurea on Matthew preserves further comments on this passage under the names of Pseudo-Chrysostom, Pseudo-Origen, Haymo, Rabanus Maurus, Remigius, and the Ordinary Gloss, which are not quoted here.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Cyril on Luke, Sermons 26–38 (Tertullian.org)