[He judged our Lord to be too holy to admit of converse with a heathen. He believed also that Jesus could effect whatsoever he pleased, by a word, and at a distance, without the intervention of any means e. Nor did he doubt but that universal nature was subject to his will far more than the most obedient soldier could be to the commands of his officer f. Thus did he ascribe to Jesus a power proper to God alone g. Well might our Lord's address to the discreet Scribe have been applied to himh.]
Such a character as this could never meet with a repulse from Jesus.
II. The kindness vouchsafed to him by our Lord —
b He applied to some of the Jewish elders to use their interest with Jesus on his behalf.
c ver. 5.
d On our Lord's near approach to the house, the same humility that had kept the Centurion from going to him, compelled him, as it were, to go, lest he should seem guilty of disrespect. Compare M;itt. viii. 13. with the text.
e ver. 7. f ver. 8. e Deut. xxxii. 39. h Mark xii. 34.
Instantly at the request of the elders Jesus set off to the Centurion's house. He who, though repeatedly importuned, declined to visit a nobleman s son1, went, at the very first summons, to attend upon a centurion's servant; and no sooner met the centurion, than he richly recompensed his assiduity —
1. He expressed his admiration of the centurion's faith —
[We never hear of Jesus admiring the things of this world : he rather checked in his Disciples such ill-judged venerationk : but when he beheld the Centurion's faith, " he marvelled at it." Not that such exercise of grace was really unexpected by him. Jesus both knew what was in the Centurion's heart1, and had planted there the very grace which he exercised"1; but Jesus, as our exemplar, would teach us what to admire, and shew us that the smallest portion of true faith cannot be estimated too highly11. Our Lord declared in his very presence, that this faith had not been equalled by any even of the Israelites them- selves0. Such approbation from his mouth could not fail of comforting the afflicted Centurion.]
2. He wrought the desired miracle in confirmation
of his faith —
[By a simple act of his will he restored the servant to perfect health, and told the Centurion that it should " be to him according to his faith." Thus he removed the distress of the family in an instant. Thus too he confirmed the faith which had shone forth so nobly, and shewed that we could never ex- pect too much at his hands. What advantage for eternal life did the Centurion derive from hence ! With what lively hope might he apply to Jesus for the healing of his soul! We can never suppose that such love and piety, such humility and faith, were left to perish. No, verily ; that declaration shall be found true to all eternity p — ]
3. He declared that many such persons should be saved, while many, with clearer light and higher pri- vileges, should be cast out —
[They who profess the true religion may be called " the children of the kingdom." But how many of them are destitute of the attainments this heathen had made ! How many would have imitated that vile Amalekite rather than himq — ! How many grudge the necessary contributions for keeping up the
> John iv. 46 — 50. k Mark x hi. 1,2. ' John ii. 25.
m John i. 16. n 2 Pet. i. 1. ° \er. 9.
v 1 Sam. ii. 30. <i 1 Sam. xxx. 13.