Chapter XX.—An Explanation of the Circumstance that Matthew Tells Us How the
Centurion Came to Jesus on Behalf of His Servant, While Luke’s Statement is that the Cen-
turion Despatched Friends to Him.
48. After these things, Matthew proceeds with his narrative in the following terms: “And
when Jesus was entered into Capharnaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching
Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and he is grievously tor-
mented;” and so forth, on to the place where it is said, “And his servant was healed in the
self-same hour.”862 This case of the centurion’s servant is related also by Luke; only Luke
does not bring it in, as Matthew does, after the cleansing of the leper, whose story he has
recorded as something suggested to his recollection at a later stage, but introduces it after
the conclusion of that lengthened sermon already discussed. For he connects the two sections
in this way: “Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He
entered into Capharnaum; and a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was
sick and ready to die;” and so forth, until we come to the verse where it is said that he was
healed.863 Here, then, we notice that it was not till after He had ended all His words in the
hearing of the people that Christ entered Capharnaum; by which we are to understand
simply that He did not make that entrance before He had brought these sayings to their
conclusion; and we are not to take it as intimating the length of that period of time which
intervened between the delivery of these discourses and the entrance into Capharnaum. In
this interval that leper was cleansed, whose case is recorded by Matthew in its own proper
place, but is given by Luke only at a later point.864
49. Accordingly, let us proceed to consider whether Matthew and Luke are at one in
the account of this servant. Matthew’s words, then, are these: “There came unto Him a
centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, My servant lieth at home sick of the palsy.”865 Now
this seems to be inconsistent with the version presented by Luke, which runs thus: “And
when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He
would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him instantly,
saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he
hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from
the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself;
for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore neither thought I
myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.”866
862 Matt. viii. 5–13.
863 Luke vii. 1–10.
864 [But see note on § 44.—R.]
865 Matt. viii. 5, 6.
866 Luke vii. 3–7.
An Explanation of the Circumstance that Matthew Tells Us How the Centurion Came to Jesus on Behalf of His Servant, While Luke’s Statement is that the Centurion Despatched Friends to Him.
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An Explanation of the Circumstance that Matthew Tells Us How the Centurion…