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Explanation for:
Matthew
8
:
9
For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers; and I say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Out of concern that Christ might humbly decline, he proclaimed, \\"Indeed, I am a person subject to authority, yet I command soldiers entrusted to me. I tell one to go, and he goes; I direct another to come, and he comes; and I instruct my servant to perform an action, and he obeys.\\" Some might question the significance of the centurion's belief. The essential matter is whether Christ recognized and validated it. You make a wise observation. Now, let us examine this further; we will discover the same scenario as with the leper. The leper expressed, \\"If You are willing,\\" and we are assured of the Savior’s divine authority, revealed not only through the leper but also through Christ’s own words. He did not dismiss this perspective; rather, He affirmed it by adding confirmation, stating, \\"If I will, I will be cleansed.\\" It is crucial to ascertain whether a parallel situation exists here, and indeed, we find the same principle applies. The fact that a Gentile held such a profound regard for Christ is significant. He seemed to grasp that the celestial hosts, as well as illness, death, and all earthly matters, were fully subject to Christ's dominion, just as he himself was subordinate to his soldiers. Hence, he articulated, \\"For even I am a man under authority\\"—implying, \\"You are God, and I am merely a man in submission; You exist above all authority, while I am bound by it.\\" If therefore I, a mere man with limitations of human authority, can command, how much more can You, who are divine and free from any constraints? With particular emphasis, he sought to impress upon Christ that he was not presenting a comparable example but one of vastly superior significance. He asserted that, being equal to those under him and subject to authority, with only a slight edge over his subordinates, he wields a power that no one challenges, as those under his command carry out his orders, regardless of their differing nature—\\"I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to the other, Come, and he comes.\\" Therefore, You possess an even greater authority. Some interpret this text differently, positing that he was stating, \\"If I am a man, under authority, I have soldiers under me.\\" However, it becomes evident how he illustrates that Christ can direct death like a servant and command it as a Master. When he declares, \\"Go, and he goes; come, and he comes,\\" he conveys the notion that if You instruct death to refrain from approaching him, it will obey. Can you perceive the depth of his faith? He had already made evident what was later to be revealed to all: that Christ possesses authority over life and death, capable of breaking down the gates of hell and resurrecting the fallen. Furthermore, he references not only soldiers but also servants, signifying an even greater level of obedience. Yet, despite his profound faith, he deemed himself unworthy."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He desires to demonstrate that the Lord, not only through His physical presence but also via the service of angels, is able to accomplish His intentions."},{"author-name":"John Cassian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88e1dc7e78105e5ac80c2_John%20Cassian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"The ideal mindset is vividly illustrated through the figure of the Gospel centurion. His unwavering strength enables him to remain undistracted by fleeting thoughts, allowing him to discern what is good and to effortlessly reject the contrary. This is encapsulated in his words: \\"For I am also a subject man; but having soldiers in subjection to me, I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does.\\" If we, too, courageously confront our disturbances and vices, bringing them under the sway of authority and reason, we can suppress our carnal passions. By submitting the erratic nature of our thoughts to the control of reason and invoking the saving sign of the cross, we can expel the fierce forces of opposition from our hearts. Through the merit of such triumphs, we may ascend to the spiritual dignity of this centurion, as Moses mystically depicts: \\"Thou shalt set them... captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, and captains of tens\\" (Ex. 18:21). Attaining such a status grants us the authority to command our thoughts. Rather than being swayed by unwelcome thoughts, we can remain focused on those that nurture our spiritual joy. We will direct the malignant suggestions to depart, and they shall leave; we will welcome the good ones, and they will come. In addition, we will command our physical body, which serves us, to practice purity and self-restraint, and it will comply without resistance, yielding entirely to the spirit rather than igniting lustful impulses. The centurion's weapons and strategies for battle are conveyed by the blessed Apostle: \\"The weapons of our host are not carnal, but mighty by God\\" (2 Cor. 10:4). These weapons are revealed to be spiritual and divine in strength. Furthermore, the Apostle outlines the battles for which these weapons are intended: \\"for the destruction of strongholds: by them we overthrow the schemes and every exaltation that rises up against the knowledge of God, capturing every thought to make it obedient to Christ, and being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled\\" (2 Cor. 10:4-6). \\n\\nI now wish to illustrate the characteristics and types of armaments we must consistently don for the Lord's battles and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Gospel centurions. \\"Take,\\" it is said, \\"the shield of faith, with which ye can quench all the fiery darts of the evil one\\" (Eph. 6:16). Hence, faith serves as the shield that, while warding off the burning arrows of temptation, blunts their impact by invoking the fear of future judgment and the promise of the heavenly kingdom. \\"And put on the armor of love\\" (Eph. 6:14). This armor encases and protects the vital areas of our hearts, repelling the lethal strikes of our passions, bouncing back the blows from adversaries, and preventing the devil's arrows from reaching our innermost being. Love simplifies all, bears all, and endures all (1 Cor. 13:4-7). Next, \\"take the helmet of salvation.\\" This helmet safeguards our head, which is Christ. We must always shield it with the hope of future gains, like an indestructible helmet in times of trial and persecution, ensuring that our faith in Him remains unscathed. One may lose various body parts and still endure, but without the head, no one can survive even briefly. \\"Take also the spiritual sword, which is the word of God\\" (Eph. 6:17). \\"For the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword: it penetrates to the dividing of soul and spirit, of composition and brain, and judges the thoughts and intents of the heart\\" (Heb. 4:12), precisely separating and severing the carnal or earthly elements within us. Armed with this weapon and shielded from enemy attacks, the individual will not be ensnared as a captive taken to the enemy's territory of thought, bound by the chains of thieves, and will not hear the prophet’s lament: \\"Why have you grown old in a foreign land?\\" (Bar. 3:10). Instead, as a triumphant warrior, one will freely inhabit that mental battleground. \\n\\nWould you like to discern the strength and fortitude of this centurion, which enable him to wield such formidable, God-empowered weapons? Hear the words of the King, who recruits valiant souls for spiritual combat, who appoints and inspires the chosen: \\"Let him that is weak say, I am strong\\" (Joel 3:10). This demonstrates that the Lord’s warfare is to be conducted by the patient and humble, as the Gospel centurion asserts, \\"when I am weak, then I am strong\\" (2 Cor. 12:10). Of this weakness, a prophet declares: \\"the weakest among them in that day shall be as David\\" (Zech. 12:8). The enduring soul will engage in this battle, fortified by the patience described: \\"Patience is necessary for you, that, having done the will of God, you may receive what is promised\\" (Heb. 10:36)."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He asserts that as a servant of a king, if I can give orders to the soldiers beneath me, then it stands to reason that You can command death and illness, directing them to leave one person and affect another. This is because physical ailments act as instruments of divine justice. Consequently, Christ expresses His surprise, declaring, ‘I found no such faith among Israel as I found in this Gentile.’"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Through his own actions, he demonstrates that healing can occur with just a command. When he stated, ‘Speak the word,’ the centurion—a man who is under the command of a higher authority and has soldiers and servants beneath him—illustrated that what he instructs is carried out without delay. With this, the centurion revealed that if he, being limited by his own authority, can command with a single word, then much more so can Christ, who encompasses all in His divine authority and omnipotence. Thus, if He instructs death to depart, it will indeed flee; and if He bids it to come forth, it shall arise. Furthermore, death is not merely under command but is, in fact, a servant, representing the ultimate form of submission."},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"God holds in His hands both existence and demise, wellness and affliction, joy and sorrow. \\"The Lord Almighty is His name. For in His hand are all the ends of the earth, and the heights of His mountains. For He is the sea, and He made it, and His hand made the dry land\\" (Jer. 48:15; Ps. 94:4-5). Just as a monarch dispatches soldiers for protection and to enforce order, so too does God bestow life upon some, as expressed, \\"and life in His will\\" (Ps. 29:6), while to others He grants death: \\"and I will send upon them sword and destruction\\" (Jer. 24:10). Similarly, as rulers entrust their servants with various duties, God allocates health or illness, joy or hardship in accordance with His divine wisdom. \\"As the cup in the hand of the Lord is a cup of wine undiluted, fill it up, and divert it from this to that\\" (Psalms 74:9). This is the faith that the centurion held regarding Christ; his words conveyed this understanding: Lord, life and death are Your soldiers, wellness and affliction are Your servants. If I, as a mere mortal commanding others under my authority, can instruct my soldiers who obey me, and if I command my servant and he fulfills my desires, how much more, O Lord, You Who are all-powerful and sovereign, if You declare that life and death shall come, and thus shall pass; if You but speak the word, will not my servant be made whole, and sickness vanish? And this is what the centurion expressed."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"A man under authority demonstrates that even a single word from Jesus can effect healing (Eph. 3:19). The centurion believes that just as he, by adhering to the commands of his superiors, has the power to direct those under him, so too should Jesus, the all-powerful miracle worker, be able to command the ailment to release his servant with just a word. In ancient Roman and Greek thought, illnesses and even death were often viewed as entities capable of entering a person and causing various afflictions. It is possible that the centurion held a similar belief, perceiving that at the command of the Lord Jesus, the sickness afflicting his servant would be compelled to depart (cf. Chrysostom and Theophilus)."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"For I am both divine and human; you embody the divine, while I embody humanity. I exist under authority, yet you are beyond any authority. Thus, if I, a mere man who is subject to authority, can accomplish such great things, how much more can You, being God and free from any limitation? I, being fully human like my subordinates, have authority over them, and with even a small measure of authority, I command them to act, and they obey without question. I can command a soldier, \\"Go,\\" and he will go; or tell another, \\"Come,\\" and he will comply; I instruct my servant to perform a task, and he does it. Is not Your power vastly superior? You can command death itself, just as a ruler commands a servant. If You declare that death should not approach my servant, it will indeed stay away. Can you see the depth of his faith? He has already understood what would later be disclosed to all: that Christ possesses dominion over both life and death, with the authority to send souls to the gates of hell and to raise them from there. His reference to servants signifies profound obedience. Even with such faith, he viewed himself as unworthy. Yet Christ demonstrated that he was indeed worthy. This mirrors the incident with the leper, who expressed, \\"If you are willing,\\" and the Lord confirmed his faith with, \\"I am willing; be cleansed.\\" In this situation, the centurion recognized the authority of the Savior, and rather than condemn him, the Savior commended him. Moreover,"},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the procession neared the home of the ailing man, the centurion, feeling unworthy to welcome Jesus into his residence, dispatched his friends to meet Him. He instructed them to relay this message: \\"Do not trouble Yourself, Lord, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof; that is why I deemed myself unworthy to approach You; simply speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers at my command; I tell one, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.\\" The accounts of the centurion's servant being healed are provided by the Evangelists Matthew and Luke, though their narratives differ. Matthew states that the centurion approached Jesus directly to ask Him to speak just a word for his servant’s healing, while Luke indicates that the centurion did not come to Jesus himself but sent Jewish elders to request that He come and heal his servant, later sending friends to meet Him. Some suggest these refer to different individuals, but Chrysostom opines that they refer to the same centurion. \\n\\nOne might question why, according to Matthew, the centurion professed his unworthiness for Jesus to enter his home, yet according to Luke, he summoned Christ to come. It is likely that the Jewish elders dissuaded the centurion from approaching himself while flattering him by saying they would go to bring the Lord. Their words were laden with flattery, noting his kindness to their people and the synagogue he built, without fully recognizing his true merit. Once free from their persuasion, the centurion sent a message stating, \\"Do not think that I have not approached You out of laziness, but because I feel unworthy to have You in my house.\\" It is quite possible that after sending his friends, he himself went to convey the same message.\\n\\nBishop Michael amplifies Chrysostom’s explanation, indicating that Matthew uses a common style among writers where the words spoken by one through others are presented as if spoken directly. Thus, while Matthew portrays the dialogue as if it occurred directly with the centurion, Luke clarifies that the interactions passed through others—the Jewish elders and then the friends. Nevertheless, after sending his friends, it is possible the centurion came out to meet Jesus himself. The centurion's acknowledgment of his unworthiness to welcome Jesus made it unlikely that he would retain composure upon seeing the Lord approach, compelling him to go out and halt Jesus, which he most certainly did.\\n\\nBoth Evangelists provided an accurate account of this incident, recognizing that each focused on different details without contradiction. Combining their testimonies reveals that the Jewish elders first approached Jesus, followed by the centurion’s friends, and finally the centurion himself. Luke highlights the conversation between Jesus and the Jewish elders and the centurion's friends, while Matthew emphasizes the centurion and his significant expression of faith, which was central to the narrative. It is crucial to understand that none of the Evangelists claimed to recite every event from the last years of Jesus’ earthly ministry in exhaustive detail."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Christ promptly responded to their plea, stating, \\"I will go and heal him.\\" However, on the way, they encountered additional messengers from a humble and devout centurion. Through these messengers, the centurion conveyed his request for Jesus not to come under the unworthy roof of a Gentile but to heal his afflicted servant with just a word of power, similar to how He had healed the king’s son. Just as a centurion, despite being a subordinate, has servants ready to follow his commands, could it not be possible for Christ to command unseen forces to fulfill His will without needing to undertake this task personally?"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the Lord approached the house, the centurion, deeply aware of his own unworthiness and firmly believing in His limitless might, sent his friends to convey a message. He instructed them to tell the Lord not to take the trouble to visit, but rather to utter just one powerful word: Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; yet, I am unworthy to come to You, but speak the word only and my child shall be healed. I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers at my command. I say to one, Go, and he goes; to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. By entrusting the healing of his servant to a single word from the Lord, the centurion demonstrated profound faith in His divine authority."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"From the Mount of Beatitudes, Jesus made His way to Capernaum. There He encountered a centurion who deeply valued his ailing servant, who was gravely ill. Upon hearing that Jesus had arrived in the city, the centurion resolved to seek healing for his servant. However, as a Gentile, he felt unworthy to approach Jesus directly. Instead, he sent Jewish elders as intermediaries to advocate on his behalf. They implored Jesus, emphasizing the centurion's kindness towards the Jewish people and his numerous good deeds. \\n\\nMoved by their request, Jesus agreed to go with them. In a remarkable display of faith and humility for a Gentile, the centurion, upon learning that Jesus was approaching his home, sent some friends to convey a message: “Do not trouble Yourself, Lord, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Your all-powerful word will undoubtedly achieve its purpose; just as my soldiers obey my orders without question, so too will the malevolent forces flee my servant at Your command, O Prince of life and death.” The depth of faith displayed by this Gentile astonished Jesus, and He declared that He had not found such faith in Israel. \\n\\nFurthermore, Christ (according to St. Matthew) prophesied that many Gentiles would exhibit greater faith and gain entry into the kingdom of God, while the heirs of the Old Testament kingdom would find themselves excluded. Subsequently, the Lord granted the centurion's request, and his servant was healed at that very moment. When the messengers returned, they discovered that the servant was already restored to health."}]}
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