And there follows what He said: Amen I say to you, not even in Israel have I found so great a faith, where greater ought to be found, because they have it as by inheritance from Abraham, of whom it is said in Genesis fifteen: "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him unto righteousness." They also have it through the Law: John five: "If you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me also; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe me?"
15. But how can this be understood, since the Blessed Virgin was of Israel, to whom it is said above in chapter one: "Blessed are you who believed"; and also the Apostles?
But this is said not because his faith is greater absolutely, but with respect had to the person. Whence Chrysostom says: "In a small word of wisdom, a rustic is praised more than a philosopher in a great one; and a boy, if he says something wisely, is praised where a more accomplished man would not be praised." So also in the matter at hand it is to be understood.
Or it can be said that He means this with respect to reverence outwardly shown; or that in this the faith of the Gentiles is understood.
16. (Vers. 10.). As to the swiftness of the desired healing, there is added: And those who had been sent returned, as if with hope of salvation obtained through the word of Christ, which he spoke, which Matthew expresses, although Luke is silent: "As you have believed, let it be done for you. And the boy was healed"; which Luke passes over in silence, because it can sufficiently be gathered from what was said before, because, as Bede says, "it is the custom of blessed Luke to abbreviate what has been fully set forth by others, or even deliberately to pass over it; but what has been said more briefly by others or omitted, he more carefully elucidates." And therefore he passes over in silence the word of the Lord, which the others relate, and tells of the return of the messengers, in order to express the swiftness of the miracle, which he intimates when he adds: They found the servant who had been sick, in good health. Therefore the operation of power arrived before the return of the messengers, so that what is said in the Psalm might be proven true: "His word runs swiftly." Nor is this surprising, because for him there is no difference between saying and doing, as the centurion faithfully believed and confessed with his mouth: because "with the heart one believes unto justice, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." And therefore, by believing and confessing that he could do it suddenly by his word alone, he obtained this by the merit of faith, so that the Lord's promise might be shown to be fulfilled, according to that passage in Matthew twenty-one: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be done for you."
And thus the Evangelist sufficiently expressed the wondrous healing of the servant.
17. Spiritually, here according to allegory is understood the healing of the Gentile people, which is gathered from the sick person and from the intervening person and from the order of the healing. - The person indeed who was sick was of servile condition: so too was the Gentile people before the coming of Christ, because they were serving sin — according to that passage in John eight: "He who commits sin is a slave of sin," and the reason for this is stated in Second Peter two: "By whom a man is overcome, of him he is also the slave" — and on account of the sin especially of idolatry, on account of which they were slaves of weak things: Galatians four: "When we were little ones, we were serving under the elements of the world"; and afterward: "How do you turn back again to the weak and needy elements, which you desire to serve again"? He speaks to the Galatians, who had been Gentiles.
From the intervening person, who were the elders of the Jews, by whom are understood the Apostles, according to that passage in Isaiah three: "The Lord will come to judgment with the elders of the land and the princes of the people." These are the Apostles, to whom it is said in Matthew nineteen: "You also shall sit upon twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," etc. By their intervention the Gentile people was healed, according to that passage in the last chapter of Matthew: "Go, teach all nations"; and through this they were converted to the light of Christ, by which they were illuminated and saved, according to that passage in Isaiah forty-nine: "It is a small thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to convert the dregs of Israel: I have given you as a light to the nations."
From the order of the cure, because through the greatness of faith, which is preferred to the faith of Israel: Romans 11, "Blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should enter in, and so all Israel should be saved"; Acts 15: "God chose that through my mouth, says Peter, the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe"; "and He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith"; Romans 10: "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek"; "for everyone, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
18. Spiritually, however, according to the tropology, there is designated here the cure of the sinful man, to which three things concur, as here. The first is the recognition of one's own infirmity, because it is first required that a man recognize his offense; to which Jeremiah 2 exhorts: "See your ways in the valley, know what you have done"; otherwise you will not be able to be justified, as is added in the same place: "Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: I have not sinned." Attending to this, the penitent soul says in Jeremiah 31: "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted." "For after You converted me, I did penance; and after You showed me, I struck my thigh," etc. — The second is through the intervention of apostolic authority, because it was said to Peter in Matthew 16: "And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven," etc. And in John 20 it is said to all the Apostles: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them," etc. Therefore it is said in Leviticus: "The priest shall pray for him, and it shall be forgiven him"; whence Hebrews 5: "Every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in the things that pertain to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins."
The third is through the condescension of divine mercy, approaching the house of the sick man through the infusion of grace, according to that passage in the canticle of Zechariah, above in chapter 1: "To give knowledge of salvation," etc., "through the bowels of the mercy of our God." But the grace of the Lord draws nearer to the humble, because, according to that passage in James 4, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." "For the Lord is on high and regards the lowly, and the lofty He knows from afar." Whence in the Psalm: "The Lord is near to those who are troubled in heart, and He shall save the humble of spirit"; as is said below in chapter 19 concerning Zacchaeus, who was small of stature: "Make haste and come down, for today I must abide in your house"; because He willingly condescends to the humble. Augustine: "God is on high: humble yourself, and He comes to you; exalt yourself, and He flees from you."
19. And note that Zacchaeus humbled himself in one way, the centurion in another: Zacchaeus by receiving, the centurion by not daring to receive; for in both ways reverence is shown to the Lord. Whence he does well who out of reverence frequently receives the Lord's body in the Sacrament; and he also does well who out of reverence abstains; for to both salvation is given, as to the centurion's servant and to Zacchaeus himself. Thus it is to be understood in the matter at hand.
20. And it came to pass, afterwards etc. After the miracle of the healing of one about to die, there is here subjoined the miracle of the raising of one dead: in which the demonstration of the excellence of the Savior is made more expressly. For the full description of this miracle, three things are introduced by the Evangelist. The first is the moving reason with respect to the miracle to be performed: the second is the efficient cause with respect to the miracle in its being performed, and this is noted there: When the Lord had seen her, etc. The third is the subsequent efficacy with respect to the miracle already accomplished, there: And he who was dead sat up.
Now the reason moving the Lord to miraculously raise the dead man is shown in the text to be twofold, namely the instruction of the ignorant in the intellect and the consolation of those who mourn in the affections. And according to these, two groups are introduced in the first part, namely those accompanying him on the way, that they might be directed by his teaching, and those meeting him at the gate, that they might be consoled by his grace.
21. (Verse 11). First, therefore, as regards the company of the multitude to be instructed, it is said: And it came to pass afterwards, Jesus went into a city called Nain: he went, namely to teach, according to that passage in Matthew 4: "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues."
And because those wishing to learn accompany the teacher, therefore he adds: And his disciples and a great multitude went with him. For they knew that to be true which is written in Deuteronomy 33: "They who draw near to his feet shall receive of his teaching"; and that passage of Proverbs 13: "He who walks with the wise shall become wiser." And therefore it is said in Ecclesiasticus 8: "Do not despise the discourse of wise elders, and be conversant with their proverbs: for from them you shall learn wisdom and doctrine." And therefore the crowds accompany the Lord and his disciples, according to that passage of the Psalm: "Draw near to him, and be enlightened."
22. (Vers. 12.). Secondly, as regards the encounter with the multitude to be consoled, it is added: When he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; concerning whom there was grief and mourning, because he was dead, according to that passage of Sirach twenty-two: "Weep over the dead: for his light has failed ". The mourning was even greater, because he was an only-begotten son, over whom the lamentation becomes all the more bitter as he was all the more dear; Jeremiah six: " Make for yourself the mourning of an only-begotten, a bitter lamentation "; and 2 Kings one, David mourning the dead Jonathan: "As a mother loves her only son, so I loved you". But the mourning was greatest, because the mother was utterly desolate; on account of which it says: And she was a widow, and thus already utterly desolate, lacking the consolation both of a son and of a husband. This the woman of Tekoa alleges to obtain mercy, 2 Kings fourteen: " Alas! I am a widow woman ". And therefore Jeremiah lamented the widowhood of Jerusalem, Lamentations one: " How does the city sit solitary that was full of people " etc. And for this reason many had compassion on her; whence it adds: And a large crowd of the city was with her, namely to grieve together and to console, because this was the custom of the Jews, according to that passage of John eleven: " Many of the Jews had come to Mary and Martha, to console them concerning their brother ". To all of whom this widow could say: " O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow"! shortly after: "He has made me desolate, consumed with grief all the day". And therefore she was in need of consolation.
23. (Vers. 13.). When the Lord saw her, etc. Here the efficient cause is touched upon with respect to the miracle in its coming-to-be, which indeed was twofold, namely the affection of piety in the heart inclining to compassion, and the power of majesty in speech commanding to rise. The first regards the assumed nature; the second, the Eternal.
As to the affection of piety in the heart, it is said: When the Lord saw her, moved with compassion, namely as to the affection of the heart, so that he could say that passage of Job thirty: " I wept formerly over him who was afflicted "; and thirty-one: " From my infancy compassion grew up with me ".
And because compassion hidden in affection appears in address, he said: Do not weep, consoling her with kind speech, according to that passage of Job twenty-nine: "I consoled the heart of the widow"; and Jeremiah thirty-one: "Let your voice cease from weeping, and your eyes from tears ".
24. (Vers. 14.). And because it is fitting that the effect of work accompany the affection of the heart and the utterance of the mouth, therefore he adds: And he came near and touched the bier, to show to all his kindness, by which he does not despise the dead, since according to the Law one who touches a dead person would be unclean, as is said in Leviticus twenty-one; and so that by touching, not by commanding, he might humbly make the bearers stop. — Whence it is added: And those who carried him stood still, namely expecting a miracle, according to what is said to Job himself in the thirty-seventh chapter: "Listen to this, Job, stand still and consider the wonders of God."
25. But as to the command of majesty in speech, it is added: And he said: Young man, I say to you: Arise; Ephesians five: "Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you"; so that that word of John five may be verified: "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God"; which indeed is a voice commanding and powerful to raise the dead by reason of its own power, according to that of the Psalm: "He shall give to his voice the voice of power." And rightly, because, as Augustine says, "no one so easily rouses a sleeper from sleep as Christ calls back from the tomb." Moreover, he directs this speech to the dead man, not only as something arousing, but as something restorative of hearing, to show that what is said in John eight is true: "I am the beginning, who also speak to you" — the beginning, namely by working interiorly, who speak by arousing exteriorly. Whence in Christ, because the flesh is joined to the eternal Word, the exterior voice is joined to that interior speaking, which is the principle of all creation, as is evident in the works of the six days, Genesis one; it is also the principle of all restoration; Wisdom sixteen: "Your word, O Lord, heals all things."
26. (Vers. 15.). And he who was dead sat up. Here thirdly is noted the subsequent efficacy with respect to the miracle already accomplished, which indeed is twofold according to a twofold end, namely of the work and of the intention. The first efficacy is the raising of the dead man; the second, the promotion of faith.
First therefore is designated the raising of the dead man as known to the people standing by, when he says: And he who was dead sat up, and began to speak; in which it manifestly appears that he was alive, because life is recognized in two ways, namely through sense and motion. There is no doubt that he spoke words of divine praise, which indeed belongs not to the dead but to the living, according to that which is said in the Psalm: "The dead shall not praise you, O Lord, but we who live bless the Lord."
27. And note that the raising of the girl is proven by eating, Mark five; the raising of Lazarus by walking, John eleven; the raising of the young man by speaking, as here. And eating pertains to the act of the vegetative soul, walking to the act of the sensitive soul, speaking to the act of the rational soul, so that by this threefold proof the Lord of the soul may be shown to rule according to its every power and virtue.