suffered, nor walked, nor endured His human sufferings, nor wrought His divine miracles.
None of all this took place in the rest of the nations, and yet was that fulfilled which was
spoken of Him, “A people whom I have not known, hath served Me.” And how if it did not
know Him? “Hath obeyed Me by the hearing of the ear.”2173 The Jewish nation knew, and
crucified Him; the whole world besides heard and believed.
5. This absence, so to say, of His body, and presence of His power among all nations,
He signified also in the instance of that woman who had touched the edge of His garment,
when He asketh, saying, “Who touched Me?”2174 He asketh, as though He were absent; as
though present, He healeth. “The multitude,” say the disciples, “press Thee, and sayest Thou,
Who touched Me?” For as if He were so walking as not to be touched by anybody at all, He
said, “Who touched Me?” And they answer, “The multitude press Thee.” And the Lord
would seem to say, I am asking for one who touched, not for one who pressed Me. In this
case also is His Body now, that is, His Church. The faith of the few “touches” it, the throng
of the many “press” it. For ye have heard, as being her children, that Christ’s Body is the
Church, and if ye will, ye yourselves are so. This the Apostle says in many places, “For His
body’s sake, which is the Church;”2175 and again, “But ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular.”2176 If then we are His body, what His body then suffered in the
crowd, that doth His Church suffer now. It is pressed by many, touched by few. The flesh
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presses it, faith touches it. Lift up therefore your eyes, I beseech you, ye who have wherewithal
to see. For ye have before you something to see. Lift up the eyes of faith, touch but the extreme
border of His garment, it will be sufficient for saving health.
6. See ye how that which ye have heard out of the Gospel was at that time to come is
now present. Therefore, said He, on occasion of the commendation of the Centurion’s faith,
as in the flesh an alien, but of the household in heart, “Therefore I say unto you, Many shall
come from the east and west.”2177 Not all, but “many;” yet they shall “come from the East
and West;” the whole world is denoted by these two parts. “Many shall come from the east
and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;
but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness.” “But the children of
the kingdom,” the Jews, namely. And how “the children of the kingdom”? Because they re-
ceived the Law; to them the Prophets were sent, with them was the temple and the Priesthood;
they celebrated the figures of all the things to come. Yet of what things they celebrated the
figures, they acknowledged not the presence. And, “Therefore the children of the kingdom,”
2173 Ps. xvii. 44, 45, Sept. (xviii. 43, 44, English version).
2174 Luke viii. 45.
2175 Col. i. 24.
2176 1 Cor. xii. 27.
2177 Matt. viii. 11.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. viii. 8, ‘I am not worthy that thou shouldest…