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Luke hints to us at the Jewish flattery, and that those in misfortune, being 57.336 unstable, change their minds often. For it is likely that the centurion, wishing to go, was prevented by the Jews, who were flattering him and saying, "We will go and bring him." See then how their entreaty was also full of flattery. "For he loves our nation," he says, "and he himself built the synagogue;" nor do they know from what grounds they praise the man. For they should have said, "He himself wished to come and entreat you, but we prevented him, seeing the calamity, and the body lying in the house," and so have shown the greatness of his faith; but they do not say this; for they did not wish, on account of their envy, to reveal the man's faith. But they chose rather to obscure the virtue of him for whom they came to make supplication, so that he for whom they were interceding might not seem to be someone great, than by proclaiming his faith, to accomplish that for which they had come. For envy is sufficient to blind the mind. But He who knows the secrets, proclaimed him even against their will. And that this is true, hear Luke himself again interpreting it. For he says thus, that "when he was not far off, he sent, saying, 'O Lord, do not trouble yourself; for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.'" For when he was freed from their burden, then he sends saying, "Do not think that I did not come out of laziness, but I considered myself unworthy to receive you in my house." 3. But if Matthew says that he said this not through friends, but by himself, this makes no difference; for what is sought is whether each presented the man's eagerness, and that he had a fitting opinion concerning Christ. And it is likely that he himself, after sending his friends, came and said these things. But if Luke did not say this, neither did Matthew say that; which was not a case of them contradicting each other, but rather of supplementing what was omitted by the other. See how Luke also proclaimed his faith from another angle, by saying that the servant was about to die. But nevertheless, not even this cast him into despair, nor did it cause him to lose hope; but even so he hoped that he would survive. And if Matthew says that Christ said, "Not even in Israel have I found such faith," and thereby indicates that he was not an Israelite, while Luke says that he built the synagogue; this is not a contradiction either. For it is possible for one who is not a Jew both to build the synagogue and to love the nation. But do not simply examine the things said by him, but also consider his rank, and then you will see the virtue of the man. For great is the arrogance of those in authority, and not even in misfortunes do they condescend. At least the one mentioned in John draws him to his house, and says, "Come down, for my child is about to die." But not so this man; but he is much better than that man and than those who let down the bed through the roof. For he does not seek a bodily presence, nor did he bring the sick one near to the physician; which was the act of one who imagined no small thing about him, but who had a god-like conception of him; and he says, "Only speak a word." And not even at 57.337 the beginning does he say, "Speak a word," but only relates the affliction; for he did not expect, out of great humility, that Christ would immediately consent and seek out his house. For this reason, when he heard him saying, "I will come and heal him," then he says, "Speak a word." And not even the affliction confounded him, but even in misfortune he philosophizes, looking not so much to the health of his servant, as to not seeming to do anything irreverent. And yet he did not compel him, but Christ offered; but even so he is afraid lest he should ever seem to exceed his own worth, and to draw to himself a burdensome matter. Have you seen his understanding? Consider the folly of the Jews saying, "He is worthy for whom you should grant the favor." For though they ought to have taken refuge in the philanthropy of Jesus, they instead put forward this man's worth, and

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κολακείαν τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν αἰνίττεσθαι ἡμῖν ὁ Λουκᾶς, καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἐν συμφορᾷ ἀκατάστατοι 57.336 ὄντες πολλὰ μεταβουλεύονται. Εἰκὸς γὰρ τὸν ἑκατόνταρχον βουλόμενον ἀπελθεῖν κωλυθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, κολακευόντων αὐτὸν καὶ λεγόντων, ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἀπελθόντες ἄξομεν αὐτόν. Ὅρα γοῦν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν παράκλησιν κολακείας οὖσαν μεστήν. Ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν· οὐδὲ ἴσασιν ὅθεν ἐπαινοῦσι τὸν ἄνδρα. ∆έον γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἐβουλήθη μὲν αὐτὸς ἐλθεῖν καὶ παρακαλέσαι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐκωλύσαμεν, τὴν συμφορὰν ἰδόντες, καὶ τὸ πτῶμα τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας κείμενον, καὶ οὕτω παραστῆσαι τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγεθος· τοῦτο μὲν οὐ λέγουσιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἤθελον διὰ τὸ βασκαίνειν ἐκκαλύψαι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν πίστιν· ἀλλ' ᾑροῦντο μᾶλλον συσκιάσαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, ὑπὲρ οὗ τὴν ἱκεσίαν ἦλθον ποιησόμενοι, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ μέγας τις εἶναι ὁ παρακαλούμενος, ἢ τὴν πίστιν ἀνακηρύξαντες τὴν ἐκείνου, ἀνύσαι τοῦτο, δι' ὅπερ ἦσαν ἀφιγμένοι. Ἱκανὸν γὰρ ἡ βασκανία πηρῶσαι διάνοιαν. Ἀλλ' ὁ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα εἰδὼς, καὶ ἀκόντων αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνον ἀνεκήρυξε. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λουκᾶ πάλιν αὐτὸ ἑρμηνεύοντος. Αὐτὸς γὰρ οὕτω φησὶν, ὅτι Οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος αὐτοῦ ἔπεμψε λέγων· Ὦ Κύριε, μὴ σκύλλου· οὐ γάρ εἰμι ἄξιος, ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς. Ὅτε γὰρ ἀπηλλάγη τῆς ἐπαχθείας αὐτῶν, τότε πέμπει λέγων· Μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι δι' ὄκνον οὐ παρεγενόμην, ἀλλ' ἐμαυτὸν ἀνάξιον εἶναι ἐνόμισα τοῦ δέξασθαί σε ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. γʹ. Εἰ δὲ ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖός φησι μὴ διὰ τῶν φίλων, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτο αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι, οὐδὲν τοῦτο ποιεῖ· τὸ γὰρ ζητούμενον, εἰ τὴν προθυμίαν ἑκάτερος παρέστησε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ ὅτι τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δόξαν εἶχεν. Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν μετὰ τὸ πέμψαι τοὺς φίλους παραγενόμενον ταῦτα εἰπεῖν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ εἶπε τοῦτο ὁ Λουκᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο ὁ Ματθαῖος· ὅπερ οὐ μαχομένων ἑαυτοῖς ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑπ' ἀλλήλων παραλιμπανόμενα ἀναπληρούντων μᾶλλον. Ὅρα δὲ αὐτοῦ πῶς καὶ ἑτέρωθεν τὴν πίστιν ὁ Λουκᾶς ἀνεκήρυξεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἔμελλε τελευτᾷν ὁ παῖς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ τοῦτο εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν αὐτὸν ἐνέβαλεν, οὐδὲ ἀπελπίσαι παρεσκεύασεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἤλπισε περιέσεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖός φησι τὸν Χριστὸν εἰρηκέναι, Οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον, καὶ ταύτῃ δηλοῦν οὐκ ὄντα αὐτὸν Ἰσραηλίτην, ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς, ὅτι ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν συναγωγήν· οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐναντίον. ∆υνατὸν γὰρ καὶ Ἰουδαῖον οὐκ ὄντα, καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν οἰκοδομῆσαι, καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ἀγαπᾷν. Σὺ δέ μοι μὴ ἁπλῶς ἐξέταζε τὰ εἰρημένα παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ προστίθει, καὶ τότε ὄψει τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἀνδρός. Καὶ γὰρ πολὺς ὁ τύφος τῶν ἐν ἀρχαῖς ὄντων, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν συμφοραῖς καταβαίνουσιν. Ὁ γοῦν παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ κείμενος ἕλκει αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν οἰκίαν, καί φησι· Κατάβηθι· μέλλει γάρ μου τὸ παιδίον τελευτᾷν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως οὗτος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνου καὶ τῶν διὰ τοῦ στέγους καθέντων τὴν κλίνην πολὺ βελτίων. Οὐ γὰρ σωματικὴν παρουσίαν ἐπιζητεῖ, οὐδὲ ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὸν κάμνοντα ἤνεγκεν· ὅπερ οὐ μικρὰ φανταζομένου ἦν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ θεοπρεπῆ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν ἔχοντος· καί φησιν· Εἰπὲ λόγῳ μόνον. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν 57.337 ἀρχῇ λέγει, Εἰπὲ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ μόνον τὸ πάθος διηγεῖται· οὐδὲ γὰρ προσεδόκησεν ἀπὸ πολλῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης εὐθέως ἐπινεύσειν τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπιζητήσειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Ἐγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτὸν, τότε φησὶν, Εἰπὲ λόγῳ. Καὶ οὐδὲ τὸ πάθος αὐτὸν συνέχεεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν συμφορᾷ φιλοσοφεῖ, οὐ πρὸς τὴν ὑγίειαν τοσοῦτον ὁρῶν τοῦ παιδὸς, ὅσον πρὸς τὸ μὴ δόξαι μηδὲν ἀνευλαβὲς ποιεῖν. Καίτοιγε οὐκ αὐτὸς ἠνάγκασεν, ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπηγγείλατο· ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω δέδοικε μή ποτε δόξῃ τὴν ἀξίαν ὑπερβαίνειν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ βαρὺ πρᾶγμα ἐφέλκεσθαι. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν; Σκόπει τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἄνοιαν λεγόντων· Ἄξιός ἐστιν ᾧ παρέξει τὴν χάριν. ∆έον γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν καταφυγεῖν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀξίαν τούτου προβάλλονται, καὶ