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only, but also to the Gentiles will this gift be offered; and to them more than to these. For do not suppose, he says, that this has happened in his case only; for throughout the entire world this will be. He said this, prophesying about the Gentiles, and holding out to them good hopes. For there were also following from Galilee of the Gentiles. He said these things, not allowing the Gentiles to despair, and putting down the pride of the Jews. So that what was said might not offend the listeners, nor give them any handle, he does not introduce the discourse concerning the Gentiles principally, but taking occasion from the centurion, nor does he set down the bare name of the Gentiles. For he did not say, Many of the Gentiles, but, Many from the east and west; which was to signify the Gentiles, but did not thus offend the hearers; for what was said was veiled. And not only in this way does he mitigate the seeming novelty of his teaching, but also by speaking of the bosom of Abraham instead of the kingdom. For neither was that name familiar to them, and Abraham being brought into the midst stung them more keenly. For which reason also John said nothing immediately about Gehenna, but says what especially grieved them: Do not think to say, we are children of Abraham. And after these things he also establishes another point, so as not to seem to be an opponent of the old polity. For he who admires the patriarchs, and calls their bosoms a cessation of good things, completely removes this suspicion. Let no one then suppose the threat to be single; for both the punishment for these is double, and the joy for those; for these, not that they fell, but that they fell from their own possessions; for those, not that they obtained, but that they obtained what they did not expect; and a third after these things, that these received what was theirs. And he speaks of sons of the kingdom, for whom the kingdom had been prepared; which 57.339 especially stung them. For having shown that they were in the bosom by the announcement and by the promise, then he brings them out. Then, since what was spoken was a declaration, he confirms it by the sign; just as he also shows the signs from the prediction that came after these things. Therefore let him who disbelieves the healing that then happened to the servant, believe that also from the prophecy that has come forth today. For the prophecy, even before its fulfillment, was made clear to all by the sign of that time. For this reason, having proclaimed these things beforehand, he then raised the paralytic, that he might confirm the future by the present, and the lesser by the greater. For for the virtuous to enjoy good things, and their opposites to endure grievous things, was not unlikely, but happened according to reason and the sequence of laws; but to make firm what was paralyzed, and to raise a dead man, was greater than according to nature. But nevertheless, to this great and wonderful thing the centurion also contributed not a little; which Christ indeed, making it clear, said: Go; and as you have believed, so be it done for you. Did you see how the healing of the servant proclaimed both the power of Christ, and the faith of the centurion, and confirmed the future? Or rather, all things proclaimed the power of Christ. For not only did he correct the body of the servant, but he himself also drew the soul of the centurion to the faith through the miracles. But do you not only consider this, that this one believed, and that that one was healed, but also marvel at the speed. For making this clear the evangelist said: And his servant was healed in that very hour; just as he also said in the case of the leper, that Immediately he was cleansed. For not only by healing, but also by doing this in a wonderful way, and in the twinkling of an eye, he showed his power. And he benefited not only in this way, but also by continuously, in the display of his miracles, opening up discourses concerning the kingdom, and drawing all to it. For he threatened to cast out those, not that he might cast them out, but that by fear through his words he might draw them to it. And if they did not profit even from this, the entire blame is theirs, and of all those who suffer from such things. Nor

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μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔθνεσι τὸ τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης προκείσεται· καὶ ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον ἢ τούτοις. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐπὶ τούτου γέγονε τοῦτο μόνον· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης τοῦτο ἔσται. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε, περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προφητεύων, καὶ χρηστὰς αὐτοῖς ὑποτείνων ἐλπίδας. Καὶ γὰρ ἦσαν καὶ ἀπὸ Γαλιλαίας ἀκολουθοῦντες τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγε, τούς τε ἐθνικοὺς οὐκ ἀφιεὶς ἀπογνῶναι, τῶν τε Ἰουδαίων καθαιρῶν τὰ φρονήματα. Ὥστε δὲ μὴ προσστῆναι τὸ λεγόμενον τοῖς ἀκούουσι, μηδὲ παρασχεῖν αὐτοῖς λαβὴν μηδεμίαν, οὔτε προηγουμένως τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσάγει λόγον, ἀλλ' ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου, οὔτε γυμνὸν τὸ ὄνομα τῶν ἐθνῶν τίθησιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Πολλοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ, Πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν· ὅπερ ἦν δηλοῦντος τὰ ἔθνη, οὐ προσίστατο δὲ οὕτω τοῖς ἀκούουσι· συνεσκιασμένον γὰρ ἦν τὸ λεχθέν. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον παραμυθεῖται τὴν δοκοῦσαν εἶναι τῆς διδασκαλίας καινοτομίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τοὺς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ ἀντὶ τῆς βασιλείας εἰπεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο γνώριμον αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομα ἦν, καὶ μειζόνως αὐτοὺς ἔδακνεν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ εἰς τὸ μέσον τεθείς. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης οὐδὲν εὐθέως περὶ γεέννης εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐλύπει φησίν· Μὴ δόξητε λέγειν, ὅτι παῖδές ἐσμεν τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ ἕτερον κατασκευάζει, τὸ μὴ δόξαι ἐναντίος τις εἶναι τῇ παλαιᾷ πολιτείᾳ. Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς πατριάρχας θαυμάζων, καὶ λῆξιν ἀγαθῶν τοὺς ἐκείνων κόλπους καλῶν, ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας καὶ ταύτην ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν. Μηδεὶς οὖν μίαν εἶναι νομιζέτω τὴν ἀπειλήν· διπλῆ γάρ ἐστι καὶ τούτοις ἡ κόλασις, κἀκείνοις ἡ εὐφροσύνη· τούτοις μὲν, οὐχ ὅτι ἐξέπεσον, ἀλλ' ὅτι τῶν ἰδίων ἐξέπεσον· ἐκείνοις δὲ, οὐχ ὅτι ἐπέτυχον, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὧν οὐ προσεδόκων ἐπέτυχον· καὶ τρίτη μετὰ τούτων, ὅτι τὰ ἐκείνων ἔλαβον οὗτοι. Υἱοὺς δὲ βασιλείας φησὶν, οἷς ἡ βασιλεία ἦν ἡτοιμασμένη· ὃ 57.339 καὶ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἔδακνε. ∆είξας γὰρ εἰς κόλπους ὄντας τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ καὶ τῇ ὑποσχέσει, τότε ἐξάγει. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἀπόφασις ἦν τὸ εἰρημένον, πιστοῦται αὐτὸ τῷ σημείῳ· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τὰ σημεῖα ἀπὸ τῆς προῤῥήσεως τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα γεγενημένης δείκνυσιν. Ὁ τοίνυν ἀπιστῶν τῇ ὑγιείᾳ τῇ γενομένῃ τῷ παιδὶ τότε, ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας τῆς ἐξελθούσης σήμερον πιστευέτω κἀκεῖνο. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ προφητεία καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐκβάσεως ἀπὸ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ τότε δήλη πᾶσιν ἐγένετο. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο πρότερον ταῦτα προαναφωνήσας, τότε τὸν παραλελυμένον ἀνέστησεν, ἵνα τὰ μέλλοντα ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων πιστώσηται, καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον ἀπὸ τοῦ μείζονος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐναρέτους ἀπολαύειν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους τὰ λυπηρὰ ὑπομένειν, οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ λόγον καὶ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν νόμων ἐγίνετο· τὸ δὲ παρειμένον σφίγξαι, καὶ νεκρὸν ἀναστῆσαι, μεῖζον ἢ κατὰ φύσιν ἦν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰς τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐ μικρὸν καὶ ὁ ἑκατοντάρχης συνεισήνεγκεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ὕπαγε, καὶ ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι. Εἶδες πῶς ἀνεκήρυξεν ἡ τοῦ παιδὸς ὑγίεια καὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου πίστιν, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἐπιστώσατο; Μᾶλλον δὲ πάντα τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν ἀνεκήρυττεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα διωρθώσατο μόνον τοῦ παιδὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου ψυχὴν εἰς τὴν πίστιν διὰ τῶν θαυμάτων αὐτὸς ἐφειλκύσατο. Σὺ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο σκόπει μόνον, ὅτι οὗτος ἐπίστευσε, καὶ ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἰάθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τάχος θαύμασον. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λεπροῦ εἶπεν, ὅτι Εὐθέως ἐκαθαρίσθη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῷ θεραπεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ παραδόξως τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ ἐν ἀκαρεῖ ῥοπῇ, τὴν δύναμιν ἐπεδείκνυτο. Καὶ οὐ ταύτῃ μόνον ὠφέλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ συνεχῶς ἐν τῇ τῶν θαυμάτων ἐπιδείξει τοὺς περὶ τῆς βασιλείας παρανοίγειν λόγους, καὶ πάντας ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς αὐτήν. Καὶ γὰρ οὓς ἐκβάλλειν ἠπείλει, οὐχ ἵνα ἐκβάλῃ ἠπείλει, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῷ φόβῳ πρὸς αὐτὴν διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐπισπάσηται. Εἰ δὲ μηδὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκέρδαναν, αὐτῶν τὸ ἔγκλημα ἅπαν, καὶ πάντων τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα νοσούντων. Οὐδὲ