Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

⁴ But do not thou, I pray you, merely inquire what was said by him, but add thereto his rank also, and then you will see the man's excellency. Because in truth great is the pride of them that are in places of command, and not even in afflictions do they take lower ground. He, for example, who is set down in John, is for dragging Him unto his house, and says, “Come down, for my child is ready to die.” But not so this man; rather he is far superior both to him, and to those who let down the bed through the roof. For he seeks not for His bodily presence, neither did He bring the sick man near the physician; a thing which implied no mean imaginations concerning Him, but rather a suspicion of His divine dignity. And he says, “speak the word only.” And at the beginning he says not even, “speak the word,” but only describe his affliction: for neither did he, of great humility, expect that Christ would straightway consent, and inquire for his house. Therefore, when he heard Him say, “I will come and heal him,” then, not before he says, “speak the word.” Nor yet did the suffering confound him, but still under calamity he reasons coolly, not looking so much to the health of the servant, as to the avoiding all appearance of doing anything irreverent.

And yet it was not he that pressed it, but Christ that offered it: nevertheless even so he feared, lest perchance he should be thought to be going beyond his own deservings, and to be drawing upon himself a thing above his strength. Do you see his wisdom? Mark the folly of the Jews, in saying, “He was worthy for whom He should do the favor.” For when they should have taken refuge in the love of Jesus towards man, they rather allege this man's worthiness; and know not so much as on what ground to allege it. But not so he, but he affirmed himself even in the utmost degree unworthy, not only of the benefit, but even of receiving the Lord in his house. Wherefore even when he said, “My servant lies sick,” he did not add, “speak,” for fear lest he should be unworthy to obtain the gift; but he merely made known his affliction. And when he saw Christ zealous in His turn, not even so did he spring forward, but still continues to keep to the end his own proper measure.

And if any one should say, “wherefore did not Christ honor him in return?” we would say this, that He did make return to him in honor, and that exceedingly: first by bringing out his mind, which thing chiefly appeared by His not coming to his house; and in the second place, by introducing him into His kingdom, and preferring him to the whole Jewish nation. For because he made himself out unworthy even to receive Christ into his house, he became worthy both of a kingdom, and of attaining unto those good things which Abraham enjoyed.

“But wherefore,” one may say, “was not the leper commended, who showed forth things greater than these?” For he did not so much as say, “speak the word,” but what was far more, “be willing only,” which is what the prophet says concerning the Father, “He has done whatsoever He pleased.” But he also was commended. For when He said, “Offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them,” He means nothing else but, “you shall be an accuser of them, in that you believed.” And besides, it was not the same for one that was a Jew to believe, and for one from without that nation. For that the centurion was not a Jew is evident, both from his being a centurion and from its being said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” And it was a very great thing for a man who was out of the list of the Jewish people to admit so great a thought. For he did no less than imagine to himself, as it seems to me, the armies in Heaven; or that the diseases and death, and everything else, were so subject to Him, as his soldiers to himself.

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. Thus with the strongest expression he desires to convince Him, that he says this, as one giving not a similar example, but one far exceeding. For if I (said he), being equal in honor to them whom I command, and under authority, yet by reason of the trifling superiority of my rank am able to do such great things; and no man contradicts me, but what I command, that is done, though the injunctions be various (“for I say to this man, go, and he goes; and to another, come, and he comes”:) much more will You Yourself be able.

And some actually read the place in this way, “For if I, being a man,” and having inserted a stop, they add, “having soldiers under authority under me.”

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.”

Do you see how believing he was? For that which was afterwards to be manifest to all, here is one who already has made it evident; that He has power both of death and of life, and “leads down to the gates of hell, and brings up again.” Nor was he speaking of soldiers only, but also of slaves; which related to a more entire obedience.