Chapter VII.
Secondly, the sublimity in the Teacher is declared in three ways.
1. And when he had finished all his words, etc. After the Evangelist has set forth the truth of Christ's teaching, here for its commendation he manifests the sublimity of the Teacher, which he shows to be preeminent on account of three things, namely on account of the excellence of power, on account of the evidence of truth, there: And this word, etc.; and on account of the abundance of piety, there: And one of the Pharisees asked him. The excellence of power is shown in working great miracles; the evidence of truth, in approving true testimonies; the abundance of piety, in pardoning sins.
First, on account of the excellence of power proven through two miracles.
As to the first, it should be understood that the first part has two sections according to two miracles, of which the first is the healing of the boy about to die; the second is the raising of the young man already dead, which is described there: And it came to pass afterwards, etc. For in the healing of the one about to die, the Lord of life is shown, who can save a perishing life; in the raising of the dead, the Lord of death, who can overcome death. Likewise, in the healing of the body about to die, the Lord of bodies is shown, who can restore the body; in the raising of the dead, the Lord of souls, who can recall souls to bodies.
Therefore, as to the healing of the sick boy wondrously accomplished, the Evangelist introduces three things pertaining to the explanation of the miracle. The first is the opportunity for working the miracle. The second is the worthiness for obtaining the remedy, there: When he had heard of Jesus, he sent, etc. The third is the fitness for hastening the benefit, there: And when he was now not far off, etc. — Now the opportunity for working the miracle is gathered from three things, namely from the suitability of the time, from the fitness of the place, and from the necessity of the illness.
2. (Verse 1). First, therefore, as to the suitability of the time, it is said: And when he had finished all his words in the hearing of the people, that is, after the time of preaching and of perfect and complete instruction, which pertains to that Teacher, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus forty-three: "We say many things and fall short in words; the consummation of all discourse is he himself"; he, namely, abbreviated in the flesh, according to that passage of Isaiah ten: "The consummation abbreviated shall overflow with justice"; and twenty-eight: "I have heard a consummation and abbreviation from the Lord God of hosts"; this he said in the person of the people hearing Christ, to whom above in chapter four Christ said: "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," namely of the Jews.
Second, as to the suitability of the place, it is added: He entered Capharnaum. It is said above in chapter four: "How many things we have heard you did in Capharnaum"; whence in Matthew eleven it is said: "And you, Capharnaum, shall you be exalted even to heaven?" Which he says on account of the many mighty works which he did there. — The reason for this is that this is a city of Galilee, which was on the border of the Gentiles and the Jews, so that Christ might be shown to be the cornerstone, according to that passage in Ephesians two: "That he might create the two in himself into one new man, making peace." And in this was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah nine: "In the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were lightened, and in the latter time the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, was made heavy," etc.
3. (Verse 2.). Third, as to the urgency of the illness, it is added: A certain centurion's servant, being gravely ill, was about to die: and thus he had a grave illness, according to that passage in Matthew eight: "My servant lies at home paralyzed and is grievously tormented." Now he calls him a centurion who was in charge of a hundred soldiers, which they did deliberately in battles so that they might easily know the number of warriors; whence there were tribunes, centurions, commanders of fifty, and commanders of ten, who are named from the number of those over whom they preside; a tribune, however, is said to be one who presides over a thousand. And Moses was counseled to appoint these for the governance of the people; Exodus eighteen: "Appoint from among them tribunes, centurions, commanders of fifty, and commanders of ten, who shall judge the people."
This centurion, although he had many servants, held this one dear among the others, and therefore it adds: Who was precious to him, that is, affectionately beloved, according to that passage in Sirach thirty-three: "If you have a faithful servant, let him be to you as your own soul"; because, according to that passage in Proverbs seventeen, "a wise servant shall rule over foolish sons." Whence this servant, although he was sick, was nevertheless not burdensome to his master, but dear on account of his master's piety; Proverbs twelve: "The just man knows the souls of his beasts," etc.
4. (Verse 3.). And when he had heard of Jesus, etc. After the opportunity of working a miracle, the Evangelist here adds the worthiness of obtaining a remedy, which the Evangelist gathers from three things, namely from the centurion's reverence in supplicating, from the elders' confidence in petitioning, and from the Savior's clemency in condescending. Which three things, concurring together, make the sick servant worthy of finding the remedy of health.
Therefore, as regards the centurion's reverent supplication, he sets forth: And when he had heard about Jesus , not only with the ear of the body, but also with the ear of the heart, according to that passage in Romans 10: "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." And because faith causes one to approach with reverence, since it proclaims the admirable majesty of God, therefore he adds: He sent to him the elders of the Jews, as though he himself were not worthy to approach nor dared to do so — just as the children of Israel at the time of the giving of the Law, in Exodus 20, said to Moses: "Speak to us yourself; let not the Lord speak to us, lest perhaps we die." And he himself gives this reason below in the same chapter: "For which reason I did not consider myself worthy to come to you." And therefore he sent, not as lesser messengers, but as more worthy ones. And therefore he sent elders, because they are to be revered and heeded for their age and wisdom; Job 12: "In the ancient is wisdom, and in length of time, prudence." — Hence through them he was entreating the Lord, which is noted when he adds: Asking him to come and heal his servant, according to that passage in Ecclesiasticus 38: "In your sickness do not despise yourself, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you"; and likewise another on your behalf, because, in the last chapter of James, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."
5. But Matthew seems to contradict this, for he says that "the centurion himself approached the Lord."
But there is no contradiction, because, as Bede says, Matthew speaks of an approach through faith, while Luke narrates the order of events as they occurred. Augustine also says that according to common usage, one who begins to go is said to approach; and one who acts through another is also said to ask. Hence there is no contradiction; but there would be if Matthew said that he had come to him bodily in his own person, which he does not say — rather, he says something that is consistent with what Luke says, and the one explains and confirms the other.
6. (Verse 4). As regards the confident intercession of the elders, he adds: And they, when they had come to Jesus, entreated him earnestly, because they did this out of love and confidence; Romans 12: "Not slothful in solicitude, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, instant in prayer, sharing in the necessities of the saints."
And because the most powerful reason for obtaining a request is the merit of the one on whose behalf it is sought, therefore they add, saying: He is worthy that you should grant this to him; and thus you have already found what you seek, according to that passage in Wisdom 6 concerning Wisdom: "For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her, and she shows herself to them cheerfully in the ways, and meets them with all providence."
7. (Vers. b.). And to confirm this worthiness they add: For he loves our nation, although he is a foreigner; and therefore you, who are of our nation, ought to love him, according to what you say of yourself in Proverbs 8: "I love those who love me." — Nor does he merely "love in word or tongue, but in deed and truth"; whence they also add: And he himself built us a synagogue, which indeed was a great benefaction and a sign of great love. Whence Gregory says of charity that "love works great things, if it exists; but if it refuses to work, it is not love." And since he gives great alms, he is worthy that you grant him a great favor, so that he may know that what is said in Sirach 12 is true: "Do good to the just, and you will find great recompense — and if not from him, certainly from the Lord"; as if they were saying: show yourself to be the Lord of our people, so that you may do for him as you did for the midwives in Exodus 1, who showed mercy to the Hebrews, of whom it is said: "Because the midwives feared God, he built them houses."
8. (Vers. 6.). As for the condescending clemency of the Savior, it is added: And Jesus went with them, fully satisfying their petition. Now the Lord preferred to satisfy their petition rather than the petition of the royal official in John 4, who said: "Lord, come down before my son dies," either because of the greater faith and humility of the centurion, to whom the Lord more readily condescended, according to that passage in Jeremiah 5: "Lord, your eyes look upon faith." Or to commend humility, according to what Ambrose says: "He was unwilling to go to the son of the royal official, lest he seem to have honored riches; but he goes to the servant of the centurion, lest he be thought to have despised a servile condition. Faith shines forth in works, when he heals; but humility works more in the affections, when he goes." Or he did this to exclude respect of persons, according to what is said in Wisdom 6: "He himself made the small and the great, and he has equal care for all"; whence in Acts 10: "In truth I have found that God is no respecter of persons"; and therefore in James 2: "Do not, brothers, hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons"; which happens when the rich are preferred to the poor, as is said in the same place.
9. And when he was now not far off, etc. After the opportunity for working a miracle and the worthiness for obtaining a remedy, there is added here thirdly the fittingness of hastening the benefit, which indeed consists in the merit of excellent faith, whose excellence is confirmed in three ways: first, namely, from the humility of devout confession; second, from the authority of divine testimony, at the words: Which having heard, etc.; and third, from the swiftness of the desired healing, at the words: And those who had been sent returned.
As for the humility of devout confession, note that the centurion intimates the excellence of divine power by a sign, explains it by word, and proves it by argument. He indicates by a sign, when he does not dare to receive Him; he explains by word, when he says that He can do all things: he proves by argument, because all things must obey Him.
10. On account of which he says: And when He was now not far from the house: He was indeed near to the bodily house, but nearer to the house of the mind, because, according to that word of the Psalm: "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him"; whereas concerning the wicked, Jeremiah 12: "You are near to their mouth and far from their reins." This man was not such; whose sign was preeminent humility, which he showed first by confessing his own unworthiness, when he says: The centurion sent friends to Him, saying: Lord, do not trouble Yourself, as if to say: I am not such that You should labor on my account and be bodily wearied, because it was laborious for Him to go, according to that word of John 4: "But Jesus, wearied from the journey, sat thus upon the well." — He did not say this because he refused the bodily presence of Christ, but on account of his own unworthiness; whence he also adds: For I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, which he says in consideration of his own uncleanness and sin, just as Peter also above in chapter 5: "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man"; 2 Kings 24, Araunah said to the king: "What is the reason that my lord the king should come to his servant?" And this unworthiness was not hidden from him through pride, but was known to him through preeminent humility.
11. (Verse 7). On account of which he adds: For which reason neither did I consider myself worthy to come to You. This judgment is one of humility, according to that word of Philippians 2: "In humility esteeming one another as superior to themselves." This judgment was in the Apostle through true humility, who said in 1 Corinthians 15: "I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle." Ambrose: "Having laid aside military honor, he takes up reverence, ready for faith, prompt for giving honor." And indeed true humility does this, because, according to that word of Ecclesiasticus 3, "great is the power of God alone, and He is honored by the humble alone."
12. Whence this man not only honored the Lord by confessing his own unworthiness, but also by professing the sublimity of divine power, when he adds: But say the word, and my servant shall be healed, as if to say: "no word is impossible with You," for You are that Word through whom "all things were made," John 1. You are that "word that heals all things," Wisdom 16; who "are full of power," Ecclesiastes 8; who are "living and efficacious," etc., Hebrews 4. Say therefore the word, and my servant shall be healed.
13. (Vers. 8.). And that this suffices, he shows from the lesser, when he adds: For I also am a man set under authority, and thus I acknowledge myself subject to others, according to that passage in Romans thirteen: "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers"; yet so subject, that I am also set over others. Therefore he says: Having soldiers under me, who indeed obey my word; whence he adds: And I say to this one: Go, and he goes; and to another: Come, and he comes without contradiction, according to that passage in Hebrews, the last chapter: "Obey your leaders and submit to them." And this he says with respect to the greater services; and with respect to the lesser he adds: And to my servant, namely I say: Do this, and he does it: below in chapter twelve: "Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing," namely, as he commanded. From which he argues that, since He Himself is under no authority and has innumerable subjects, He can heal by a word alone; in which he confesses Jesus as Lord, concerning whom Ecclesiasticus forty-two says: "All things in every necessity obey Him."
14. (Vers. 9.). But as for the authority of the divine testimony, there is added: Having heard this, Jesus marveled, that is, He bore Himself in the manner of one marveling, not because this was previously unknown to Him or seemed great to Him, but so that by a sign He might show that the faith of this Gentile man was great, just as that of the Gentile woman in Matthew fifteen: "O woman! great is your faith." And He manifests this by word, when He adds: And turning to the crowds that followed Him, He said, namely to the disciples, to whom He turned with kindness to teach, according to that passage in Deuteronomy thirty-three: "Those who draw near to His feet shall receive of His teaching"; Proverbs twenty-one: "He who follows the wise shall gain wisdom."