The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 172

he was innuguratlng over the hearts of with more grace than himeelf, to plearl hiA men, its stern rebuke of the dominant re- caose with the MRBter, telling him how well ligious tenching of the day, its grave pro- the centurion hRd deserved any assistance phetio onloolrs,-nll mnrked it out as the which a Jewish physician could ,.fford him. great manifesto of the new Mnster, and ILi v~rs. 4, 5.-He wu worthy for whom be euoh it &Perna to hnve been generally re- 1hould do thi1 : for he loveth our nation, and coivod. He entered into Capemaum. The he hath bnilt ua a ■yn.agogue. There are rr siclenoe of Jesus, !LB we have before pointed several mentions of these Roman military out, during the greater part of his public officers in the Gospels and Acts, and in life. It was, 01 it were, hie head-quarters. every instance the mention is a favonrable After eaoh missionary tour he returned to one, Still more notablo instances occur the populous, favoured lake-city which he in tbe case of Cornelina--to whom Peter had ohoeen RB hie temporary home. was epecially sent (Acts x., xi.)--of the Ver. 2.-And IL certain centurion's aervant; centurion who was on guard at the execu- literally, slave. The difference is important, tion on Calvary, ancl of the centurion ae we shall see in the picture presented to who co11veyed Panl to Rome (Acts xxvii. us of the centurion's character. A. centurion 1-3). On these Gentile soldiers" the faith wne e.n officer in the Roman army : the ancl life of Judaism (seen, we may well grade answers to the modern European believe, to more adve.ntage in the village captain-German, hauptmann; the com- life of Galilee than amid the factions of mand included IL hundred soldiers. Scholars Jerusalem) had made a deep impression: he are not agreed respecting the special service found a purity, reverence, simplicity, and of this particulttr officer. Some consider he nobleness of life which he had not foun<l was a Greek or Syrian holcling IL commission elsewhere, and so he loved the nation, and under the prince of the oountry, the tetrach built IL nP,W one of the synagogues of the Herod A.ntipas ; others, that he was in the town" (Dean Plumptre). The centurion service of the empire, with IL SII!ILll detach- was apparently one of those foreigners who ment of the garrison of Cresarea, doing -withont submitting to circumcision and duty at the important lake-city, probably in other burdensome ceremonial rites which connection with the revenue. It is clear w&re incompatible with the exercise of his that Roman garrisons at this period were profession-had accepted the faith of Israel, dotted about the various centres of popu- and wor~hipped with the people in the lation in these semi-dependent states. A.t position of one who, in another age, would Jerua!Rlem we know a considerable Roman have been termed a" proselyte of the gate." force was stationed. professedly to keep He was evidently one of those true-hearted order in the turbulent capital. but really, no men who translated a beautifnl creed into .doubt., to overawe the national party. Was acts, for it was specially urged by the elders, siok, and ready to die. SL Matthew calls in their petition to Jeans, that he loved the the disease paralysis, and adds that the people, no d()ubt emphasizing h..is generollll sufferer was in extreme pain. The disorder almsgivings, and, as a crowning act of his was probably some dangerous form of rheu- kindness, had built a syna~ogue at Caper- matic fever, which not unfrequently attacks naum. Moden1 travellers tell us that among the region of the heart, and is accompanied the ruins of thi..; city of Jesus are the remains with severe pain, and proves in many in- of IL white marble synagogue of the time of stances fatal. The ordinary paralysis would the Rerods. This may have heen the Roman scarcely be aocompanied with the acute pain soldier's noble gift to Israel. The whole mentioned by St. Matthew, oharncter of this nameless (lfficer seems to Ver. 3.-And when he heard of Jesus; have been singularly noble. In those selfish better rendered, having heard about Je/lUII. days of undreamed-of luxury, cruelty, and His fame as a good Physician, such as heartlessness, for a master to care for, much never had arisen before, coupled with his less to love, a sla"e was, comparatively reputation as a Teacher, had now travelled speo.king. rare. From bis message to Jesus far and wide. The devout centurion ( ver. 7) it w,ntlcl. seem as though be had a probably had watched with extreme interest clearer conception who the poor Gali] rean the oareer of the strange and remarkable Teaoher was than any one else ut that period Teacher-Prophet who had risen up among of the public ministry, not excluding the the people, and had apparently (see note on inner oircle of disciples. ver. 7) made up his mind that this Jesus Ver. 6,-Lord, trouble not thyself: for I was no mortal man. He sent unto him the am not worthy that thou shonldest enter elders of the Jews, beseeohing him that he under my roof. Augustine's comment ou would oome and heel his servant; better these remarkable wonls is good: "lly s11ying rendered elder, without the a.rtiole :. that is, that he was unworthv, he showed hin,self some of the official elders connected with wortby of Christ's entering, not wil:iin hu his own synagogue. These woulcl be 11,blo, walls. but within 1w heart.''  170 TTm GOSrEL ACCORDING TO BT. LUKE. [on. vn.1-50.