John Chrysostom, On the Centurion

Therefore he first sends the elders to Jesus. They therefore plead with great eagerness, they offer powerful entreaties, and say: He is worthy for whom you should grant this grace, grateful is the one receiving the gift, worthy of your presence. For he loves our nation, and he himself built our synagogue for us. Truly sufficient marks of godliness, sufficient proofs of a good conscience. What are these? Love towards God, and a genuine disposition towards man. For he loves our nation; that is, the law. For love is the fulfillment of the law. And he himself built the synagogue, demonstrating his good will toward God. For by building a house for God, he raises this temple as a conspicuous monument of his love for him. See how good deeds, when remembered in time of need, provide great confidence to those interceding; for everywhere good deeds have received a powerful appeal.

So they interceded thus; but Jesus accepted the entreaty 61.771 of the elders, not out of respect for them, but because he approved the centurion's faith. So he arose and went with them. Perhaps he walked somewhat slowly, and made his pace calm, not delaying to do good, but allowing time, so that he might make public the centurion's hidden inner disposition, so that he might parade his unwavering faith for the conviction of the unbelieving, so that he might display his pure and unadulterated mind. For when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent his servants to him, saying, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself; for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.' Following the first impulse of his soul, he sends the elders; but having done this, and remaining by himself, he is not at rest. For in the meantime, having considered how great is the difference in rank, he sends servants, beseeching him and saying, 'Do not trouble yourself; for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.' Oh, the understanding and sobriety of the centurion! God hidden in man did not escape him; the only-begotten Word veiled by the cloak of the body did not escape him. He sees the temple, and perceives the inhabitant. The Master in the form of a servant did not escape him, the king in the appearance of a captive, the small one in unlimited greatness. Immediately, then, Jesus marvels, and bears witness to his supreme faith, the noble impulse of his soul, according to which he said to the Savior: I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Such also was Peter, astonished at the catch of fish, and having conceived the greatness of his power, then beseeching him and saying: 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' But perhaps he did not know the things concerning Peter, but he did know those in Leviticus. Leprosy, he says, when it appears, makes the one who has fallen to the disease unclean. Similar to leprosy are dull-white spots and bright-white spots and rashes. Such afflictions are hard for many to distinguish, and especially at the beginning of the disease; wherefore the law wishes the priest to be appointed as judge of such things. Therefore the law brings the priest into the house of the one being judged; and there, having judged it as leprosy, he declares all things in the house to be defiled. Therefore many move their things out beforehand, and then they call the priest. The blessed centurion, having understood this concept, declines the arrival of the Savior.

I am not, he says, worthy that you should enter under my roof. Many things are under that roof; I know my own sins; therefore I decline the presence of the judge, before I am cleansed. I know you to be the leader of all priests, and the high priest of the Father; I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Heaven is your throne, and the earth your footstool; what house will contain the uncontainable? I do not have a heavenly roof, that you should enter under my roof; I do not have royal courts, that I might receive the king of the heavens. How shall I receive under a roof Him who covers with

∆ιὸ καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους πρῶτον πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀποστέλλει. Οἱ μὲν οὖν πολλῇ προθυμίᾳ πρεσβεύουσιν, ἱκανὰ προσβάλλουσι δυσωπήματα, καί φασιν· Ἄξιος ᾧ διδῷς τὴν χάριν, εὐγνώμων ὁ λαμβάνων τὴν δωρεὰν, ἄξιος τῆς σῆς παρουσίας. Ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν ἡμῖν. Ἀληθῶς ἱκανὰ θεοσεβείας γνωρίσματα, ἱκανὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς τεκμήρια. Ποῖα ταῦτα; Ἡ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπη, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον γνησία διάθεσις. Ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν· δηλονότι τὸν νόμον. Πλήρωμα γὰρ νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη. Καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησε, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὔνοιαν ἐνδεικνύμενος. Θεῷ γὰρ οἶκον κατασκευάζων, οἱονεὶ περίβλεπτον στήλην τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον ἀνίστα. Βλέπε πῶς αἱ καλαὶ πράξεις ἐν καιρῷ τῆς ἀνάγκης μνημονευόμεναι πολλὴν παρέχουσι τοῖς πρεσβευομένοις τὴν παῤῥησίαν· πανταχοῦ γὰρ αἱ καλαὶ πράξεις ἱκανὸν ἐδέξαντο δυσώπημα.

Οἱ μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἐπρέσβευον· ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς τὴν παρά 61.771 κλησιν ἐδέξατο τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, οὐκ αὐτοὺς αἰδούμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου πίστιν ἀποδεξάμενος. Ἀναστὰς οὖν ἐπορεύετο σὺν αὐτοῖς. Τάχα που καὶ σχολαίτερον ἐβάδιζε, καὶ τὸν βαθμὸν ἤρεμον ἐποιεῖτο, οὐ βραδύνων πρὸς εὐποιίαν, ἀλλὰ καιρὸν ἐνδιδοὺς, ἵνα τὴν ἔνδον λανθάνουσαν τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου δημοσιεύσῃ διάθεσιν, ἵνα πομπεύσῃ τὴν ἀπαράβατον πίστιν πρὸς ἔλεγχον τῶν ἀπιστούντων, ἵνα τὴν ἀκραιφνῆ καὶ ἀκίβδηλον θεατρίσῃ γνώμην. Ἤδη γὰρ αὐτοῦ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας, ἔπεμψε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ, λέγων, Κύριε, μὴ σκύλλου· οὐ γάρ εἰμι ἱκανὸς, ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Κατὰ τὴν πρώτην αὐτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς ὁρμὴν ἀποστέλλει τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσας, καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ μένων, οὐκ ἠρεμεῖ. Ἐν τοσούτῳ γὰρ λογισάμενος ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ διάφορον τοῦ ἀξιώματος, ἀποστέλλει δούλους, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων, Μὴ σκύλλου· κἀγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Ὢ τῆς συνέσεως καὶ νήψεως τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου! οὐκ ἔλαθεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ κρυπτόμενος· οὐκ ἔλαθεν αὐτὸν ὁ μονογενὴς Λόγος τῇ τοῦ σώματος περιβολῇ καλυπτόμενος. Ὁρᾷ τὸν ναὸν, καὶ νοεῖ τὸν οἰκήτορα. Οὐκ ἔλαθεν αὐτὸν ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐν δούλου ἀξίᾳ, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν αἰχμαλώτου ὄψει, ὁ βραχὺς ἐν ἀπεριορίστῳ μεγέθει. Αὐτίκα γοῦν θαυμάζει Ἰησοῦς, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ αὐτῷ τὴν ἄκραν πίστιν αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἀστείαν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ὁρμὴν, καθ' ἣν ἔλεγε τῷ Σωτῆρι· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Οἷος ἦν καὶ Πέτρος, ἐπὶ τῇ ἄγρᾳ τῶν ἰχθύων καταπλαγεὶς, καὶ ἔννοιαν λαβὼν τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς δυνάμεως, εἶτα παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων· Ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι ἐγὼ, Κύριε. Ἀλλ' ἴσως μὲν τὰ περὶ Πέτρου οὐκ ᾔδει, τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ ἐγνώκει. Λέπρα, φησὶν, ἐπικειμένη ἀκάθαρτον ποιεῖ τὸν ὑποπεσόντα τῇ νόσῳ. Τῇ δὲ λέπρᾳ παρεοίκασιν ἀλφοὶ καὶ λεῦκαι καὶ λειχῆνες. ∆υσδιάκριτα δὲ τοιαῦτα τὰ πάθη τοῖς πολλοῖς, καὶ μά λιστα ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς νόσου· ὅθεν ὁ νόμος τὸν ἱερέα βούλεται τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιγνώμονα καθίστασθαι. Ἄγει τοίνυν ὁ νόμος τὸν ἱερέα εἰς τὸν τοῦ κρινομένου οἶκον· κἀκεῖ κρίνας ὡς λέπραν, πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μεμολυσμένα ἀποφαίνει. Ὅθεν οἱ πολλοὶ προμετασκευάζουσι, καὶ τότε τὸν ἱερέα καλοῦσι. Τὴν ἐκ τούτου ἔννοιαν ὁ μακάριος ἑκατόνταρχος λαβὼν, παραιτεῖται τὴν ἄφιξιν τοῦ Σωτῆρος.

Οὐκ εἰμὶ, φησὶν, ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Πολλοὶ ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην ἐκείνην· οἶδα ἐμαυτοῦ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· παραιτοῦμαι τοίνυν τὴν ὡς κριτοῦ παρουσίαν, πρὶν ἀποκαθάρωμαι. Οἶδά σε τῶν ἱερέων ἁπάντων ἡγεμόνα, καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀρχιερέα· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Οὐρανός σοι θρόνος, καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον· ποῖος οἶκος χωρήσει τὸν ἀχώρητον; Οὐκ ἔχω στέγην οὐράνιον, ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς· οὐκ ἔχω βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς, ἵνα τὸν βασιλέα τῶν οὐρανῶν ὑποδέξωμαι. Πῶς ὑπωρόφιον δέξομαι Τὸν στεγάζοντα ἐν