Luke 7:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Although he longed to aid his suffering servant, he felt powerless to do so through ordinary means. Nonetheless, he maintained hope in the all-healing grace of Jesus. However, he also viewed himself as too unworthy to approach the Lord directly, believing that, as a Gentile, he should not request such a favor. Misjudging Jesus based on the attitudes of other Jews who shunned Gentiles, he ultimately resolved to seek assistance through the Jewish elders. When the Lord responded to this plea, the centurion, harboring a sense of unworthiness and trust in the Lord’s might, asked his friends to convey that he felt it unnecessary for Jesus to come to his home; he believed that a mere word from Him would suffice to heal the sick servant, just as he could command his subordinates with a simple directive. Never before had such a display of faith in the Lord's divine power been witnessed—especially coming from a Gentile. The Lord honored the request of this faithful man and, addressing the apostles, declared, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel," and added that many would come from the East and the West to take their places with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; meanwhile, the sons of the kingdom—the Jews, who were expected heirs—would be cast into outer darkness.

The centurion displayed extraordinary humility and faith, especially for a Gentile. After learning that Jesus was close to his house, he sent friends to convey a message for the Lord: "Do not trouble Yourself, Lord, for I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Your omnipotent command will undeniably achieve its purpose. Just as my soldiers obey my orders without question, so too will the evil afflicting my servant depart at Your command, O Prince of life and death." The depth of this faith in a Gentile astonished Jesus, who noted that He had not encountered such belief even among the Israelites.

To this, Christ (as recorded by St. Matthew) prophesied that many Gentiles would demonstrate greater faith and enter the kingdom of God, while the rightful heirs, the sons of the kingdom of the Old Testament, would find themselves excluded. Subsequently, the Lord granted the centurion's request, and at that very hour, his servant was restored to health, so that when the messengers returned, they discovered the servant had already recovered.

He identified in this wild olive tree a faith that was absent in the cultivated olive tree, leading Him to proclaim a truth that deeply unsettled the Jews: many of the current heirs of the kingdom will be cast out into the darkness of hell, while many will come from the east and west to recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. This message starkly opposed the prevailing notions of self-denying Judaism. According to certain rabbinic traditions, God is quoted as saying to the Jews, “In the world to come, I will prepare a grand feast for you, which the Gentiles will observe and feel shame.” Yet, this Galilean teacher spoke of the rejection of the Jews and the acceptance of the Gentiles! The divide between Christ and the obsolete rabbinate became increasingly apparent, as Christ rejected the narrow nationalism of the rabbis and declared that His kingdom would not be exclusive to the Jews but would encompass all nations and all of humanity. “Go,” Christ instructed the centurion who had come to Him, “and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” When the centurion returned home, he discovered that the healing word had taken effect, and his ailing servant had been restored.

I tell one to go, and he goes; to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. By relying on a single word from the Lord for the healing of his servant, the centurion demonstrated immense faith in His divine might. This faith, coupled with genuine humility before the heavenly Healer and a rare compassion for the servant's condition, indicated that the centurion's moral standing exceeded that of many Jews who relied solely on the law (Romans 2:17). Jesus Christ expressed astonishment at the faith of this Gentile and turned to the crowd that followed Him, saying, ‘Amen I say to you, I have found no faith in Israel.’ With this statement, He introduced a significant truth that would be profoundly affirmed by the holy Apostles in their letters: that ‘salvation is rooted in faith and not in the works of the law, and this grace would be bestowed not only upon the Jews but also upon the Gentiles, and indeed more abundantly’ (St. John Chrysostom). Among the multitude surrounding the Lord were both Jews and Gentiles from Galilee and surrounding regions. To avoid offending the Jewish audience, who believed they were the exclusive heirs of the Messiah's kingdom, He spoke privately about the Gentiles: I tell you, many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the heirs of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Lord frequently depicted the Kingdom of Heaven through the metaphor of a Feast, where guests recline as per Eastern tradition (Mt. 22:2, 10; Lk. 13:28-29; 14:16). The imagery of outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth for those excluded from the feast in the radiant temple symbolizes eternal suffering in hell. The centurion, who sought the healing of his servant, received in St John Chrysostom's words, ‘more than he had requested’—first the assurance of his inclusion in the Kingdom of Christ, followed by the healing itself. Christ the Savior, through the centurion's messengers, told him, ‘Go, as you have believed, let it be done for you.’ Upon returning home, the messengers discovered the sick servant restored at the very hour when the Lord had pronounced His mighty Word.