Matthew 8:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Christ not only praised the centurion verbally but also honored his faith by healing the sick man and bestowing upon him a radiant crown as well as promising him tremendous blessings. When the centurion demonstrated profound faith and humility, Christ granted him eternal life while also restoring the health of his servant. This act of grace went beyond simply healing; it was a testament to his entrance into the heavenly kingdom, contrasting with those being excluded from it. Thus, Christ reveals to all that redemption comes through faith, not adherence to the law. This precious gift will be extended not just to the Jewish people, but also to the Gentiles, with the latter receiving it even more abundantly.

He did not mention that numerous Gentiles would rest in order to avoid causing sorrow to the Jews; rather, He stated privately: ‘from the east and from the west.’ By referencing Abraham, He illustrates that He is not in opposition to the Old Testament.

Behold, what you have received from the Gospel regarding the future is already unfolding. Therefore, I tell you, due to the admirable faith of the centurion, who, though a foreigner by birth, is aligned in spirit. It is remarked that many will arrive from the east and the west. Not all, but many indeed. Ultimately, the phrase referring to the east and west encompasses the entirety of the world. Many shall come from these directions and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. The sons of the kingdom refer to the Jews. Why are they termed the sons of the kingdom?

Given that the God of Abraham, the Maker of the heavens, is identified as the Father of Christ, it follows that Abraham resides in the heavenly kingdom, alongside the nations that place their trust in Christ, the Son of the Creator. This reinforces the idea previously expressed, namely that the benefit for the Gentiles is found in the faith of the centurion, as this signifies the nations from both the east and the west who will come to believe.

Numerous individuals, specifically among the Gentiles from both the East and West, shall approach Me in faith and find rest. The reference to Abraham serves to emphasize the inclusion of the Gentiles into God's embrace while further rebuking the Jews. Abraham's bosom represents the comfort and joy of the righteous, embodying the communion and life that is the kingdom of heaven. The belief that Abraham experienced unimaginable bliss led people to refer to Abraham's bosom as a more familiar concept than the kingdom of heaven itself. This terminology was purposefully chosen so as not to seem to contradict those who led righteous lives in the Old Testament. By exalting Abraham to the extent of naming his bosom the eternal kingdom, he removes any doubt concerning his intentions.

The Lord challenges the ungrateful Jewish people, who resist the proclamation of the Gospel, declaring that many will arise from the east and west to join Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their ancestors, in the heavenly kingdom (Matthew 8:11). Through this, He establishes the foundation of grace upon the law, draws parallels between the people of God and the patriarchs, highlights the relationship between the law and the Gospel, and indicates that those who are adept in both will receive honor through an invitation. In contrast, those who are inflated by their own heritage and lacking in virtue, while claiming to be sons of the kingdom, will find themselves in eternal suffering.

If this is indeed true, what could be more illogical than the statement: ‘I am content to avoid hell, but I have no desire to enter the Kingdom’? To flee from hell is equivalent to entering the Kingdom; similarly, to be excluded from the Kingdom means one enters hell. Scripture does not present us with three realms; rather, it states: When the Son of Man comes in His glory, He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left (Matthew 25:31, 33). He identifies only two groups, one on His right and the other on His left. He distinguishes the outcomes of their respective destinations, proclaiming: And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46) will shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43).

The prophet Isaiah predicted belief in Christ and the redemption of the nations in this manner: ‘all the Gentiles will come to her’ (Isaiah 2:2). ‘Behold I give thee to the covenant of the generation, to the light of tongues, to be thy salvation, even to the last of the earth’ (Isaiah 49:6). In the words of Malachi: ‘Wherefore from the east of the sun even unto the west my name shall be glorified in the Gentiles’ (Malachi 1:11). Furthermore, the God-man Jesus draws on the faith of the Gentile centurion to illustrate the impending and initial conversion of the nations and their entry into the heavenly kingdom. Notice how skillfully and wisely he approaches this!

I assure you that numerous individuals will arrive from both the East and the West, from every corner of the earth, fulfilling ancient prophecies. They will approach Me in faith and share in the Lord's Supper, experiencing eternal joy alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the heavenly kingdom.

The genuine faith of the humble Gentile prompted Jesus Christ to envision a future reality: He foresaw the throngs of Gentiles approaching Him, recognizing how His message, sown among them, had flourished into a vast tree that offered refuge to many nations. At the same time, He discerned the Jewish people standing apart, gazing at this magnificent tree with disdain. Contemplating these thoughts, He sorrowfully declared, "Many shall come from east and west, and shall lie down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The eternal banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob symbolized the ultimate joy of heaven for many.

The Redeemer encountered a faith so extraordinary that He had not witnessed it even among the Israelites. In the wild olive tree, He discovered what was absent in the cultivated olive tree; from this observation, He conveyed a lesson that was received coldly and with discomfort by the Jews: when many of the current heirs of the kingdom are cast into the darkness of hell, many will come from the east and the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

"Many will come from the east and the west": with this statement, the Lord emphasizes the inclusive nature of His newly formed kingdom, challenging the biases held by the Jews who believed that the Messiah’s kingdom would be reserved for them and only for those Gentiles who conformed to their faith, while others would face condemnation and servitude to the Jews. The Lord expresses that numerous Gentiles will find a place in the kingdom of the Messiah. - "From the east and west": refers to the far reaches of the entire world, as east and west, in the biblical context, symbolize the whole globe and its distant lands (Is. 45:6; Mal. 1:11).