6 Hear now how the natural branches are cut off, how the wild olive is grafted in, by means of the centurion himself, whom I have thought proper to mention for the sake of comparison with this ruler. “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel; therefore I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and from the west.” How widely the wild olive took possession of the earth! This world was a bitter forest; but because of the humility, because of this “I am not worthy— many shall come from the east and from the west.”
And grant that they come, what shall become of them? For if they come, they are cut off from the forest; where are they to be ingrafted, that they may not wither? “And shall sit down,” says He, “with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.” At what banquet, in case you do not invite to ever living, but to much drinking? Where, “shall sit down? In the kingdom of heaven.” And how will it be with them who came of the stock of Abraham? What will become of the branches with which the tree was full? What but to be cut off, that these may be grafted in? Show us that they shall be cut off: “But the children of the kingdom shall go into outer darkness.”
Source: Tractates on the Gospel of John (New Advent)