Matthew 8:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The leper approached Jesus as He descended from the mountain, and the centurion met Him when He arrived in Capernaum. Why didn't either of them ascend the mountain? It wasn't due to carelessness, as both possessed a deep faith; rather, it was to avoid disrupting His teaching.

The centurion chose not to ascend the mountain to avoid disrupting the teaching. This is the same centurion mentioned by the evangelist Luke. While Luke indicates that he sent others as messengers to Jesus, this does not conflict with Matthew’s account, which states that the centurion approached personally. Clearly, the centurion initially dispatched others, but as the situation became more urgent, he took it upon himself to go and speak, (see Matthew 8:6).

Continuing from this point, Matthew recounts the following: When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a centurion approached Him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is at home in a state of great distress and is suffering greatly,’ concluding with the statement, ‘And his servant was healed at that moment.’ Luke, on the other hand, introduces the story of the centurion’s servant right after the Sermon on the Mount, thereby connecting the two events: After He had finished speaking all His words to the listening crowd, He entered Capernaum. A centurion had a servant whom he valued, and he was gravely ill, leading up to the affirmation that the servant was restored to health. The account of the leper’s cleansing is documented separately.

The centurion was a non-Jew by origin, a soldier by trade, commanding a hundred men, a worshiper of false gods, yet a benefactor to the people of Judah, for whom he had constructed a place of worship (Luke 7:5). His servant remained lethargic and motionless at home, enduring such extreme anguish and distress that he was on the brink of death. Upon hearing of the miraculous deeds performed by our Lord Jesus Christ and knowing He had arrived in Capernaum, the centurion first dispatched the elders of the Jews, as the holy Luke recounts, followed by friends who would plead on his behalf. Eventually, he personally approached Jesus to share the plight of his servant.

The Lord soon arrived in the city accompanied by the newly appointed apostles. Awaiting them was an extraordinary gathering that astonished the Lord Himself and provided the apostles with pivotal insights for their future mission. A Roman centurion residing there had a beloved servant who was gravely ill. Though he was born a Gentile, he held the Jewish faith in high regard and had even constructed a synagogue for the community in Capernaum. He might have been a proselyte of a lesser status. Having heard of the Lord's miraculous deeds, he believed in their truth and recognized the divine authority behind them, feeling reverent towards the miracle worker. Eager to assist his servant but lacking conventional means, he remained hopeful in Jesus’ all-healing abilities.

From the Mount of Beatitudes, Jesus journeyed to Capernaum. There was a Roman officer who had a servant he greatly valued, and that servant was gravely ill. Upon hearing that Jesus had arrived in the town, the centurion chose to seek Jesus's help to heal his servant. However, as a Gentile, he felt unworthy to approach Jesus directly, so he sent some Jewish elders to make his request on his behalf. They earnestly urged Jesus, explaining that the centurion was well-disposed toward the Jewish people and had contributed much to their welfare. Jesus agreed to accompany them.

Following these occurrences, Jesus arrived in Capernaum. Both Matthew and Luke mention that He entered Capernaum, suggesting His presence in the vicinity of that city. This is further supported by tradition, which identifies the so-called Mount of Beatitudes located near Capernaum, where Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount.

When the Saviour reached Capernaum, where He was staying temporarily, a group of Jewish elders, likely leaders of the primary synagogue, approached Him with a request on behalf of a centurion. This centurion had a faithful and cherished servant who had fallen seriously ill. It might seem surprising that the Jewish elders were so involved with someone who, as a Gentile, was an outsider. They clarified, however, that he had shown deep love for their community—a rare quality among Gentiles, as Jews were typically viewed with contempt. Remarkably, this centurion had even constructed a synagogue at his own expense, recognized as the most beautiful and grand in Capernaum. Their appeal to Jesus indicates that this encounter occurred in the early stages of His ministry, a time when the people were filled with wonder and hope, before the profound hostility that would arise later.

Capernaum: see the reference in Matthew 4:13. A centurion refers to the leader of a hundred Roman soldiers, who were stationed to maintain order in various cities of Judea, which was under Roman rule. Although he was of Gentile ancestry (see Lk. 8:10), he likely had a favorable disposition toward Judaism and the Jewish people (as indicated in Lk. 7 and related passages). This openness to the Jewish faith led him to take a keen interest in the miraculous acts of Jesus, fostering a belief in Him. In this faith, he approached Christ, seeking the healing of his servant.

Following the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ arrived in Capernaum. There lived a centurion of the Roman army, a Gentile by birth, though possibly a secret convert to Judaism. Upon learning of the miraculous healings performed by Jesus, he felt compelled to make a humble appeal for the healing of his cherished servant, who was suffering greatly and had become gravely ill. Recognizing his status as a Gentile and deeming himself unworthy to approach the Lord directly, he sent Jewish elders to petition Jesus on his behalf. They urged Him, saying: "Lord, my servant is at home paralyzed, suffering terribly," and they added, "He is deserving of Your help, for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."