About the centurion.

“A certain centurion’s servant, whom he treasured, was sick at the point of death” (“A certain centurion’s servant was in pain, wanting to die”) (Luke 7:2); but he did not die, thanks to the Lord, although he had to die because he was a man; did not die, thanks to God's pleasing intercession. Nature demands her duty, but the Lord of nature yielded his possession to the ruler by faith. Death and the necessity of nature forced him to die, but faith, which fights death and destroys the laws of death, won him over to its side. And you won’t believe that faith can be enough to break the shackles of death and extract souls from the abyss of the underworld? Faith opens even the gates of death, closes the sky, changes the limits of nature, tames the power of fire, turns flame into dew and dulls the sting of death. I will not speak without evidence; I assure you with the Holy Scriptures. I said that faith opens the doors of hell and heaven closes - accept clear evidence. Look: blessed Peter opened the doors of hell with a word and brought Tabitha out of the underworld. He just said: “Tabitha! Arise" ("Tabitho, arise") (Acts. 9:40), (and) immediately the doors of hell are opened, the bolts of the underworld fall, and the dead obey faster than the living. Again the prophet Elijah, relying on this faith, said: “There will be no... rain, except at my word” (“exactly from my mouth”) (1 Kings 17:1), and the sky becomes copper, the rain is delayed for three years and six months, the earth, as if iron by nature, refuses its usual fruit, so that you know how much faith can do. Man on earth decides, and God in heaven confirms this decision; mortal lips speak, and the will of God determines, expressing word in deed. Elijah concluded the heavens with “three years and six months” (“three years and six months”) (Luke 4:25); the heavenly lock was the lips of a mortal man, adorned with pious faith. Again Elijah dared to mount the fiery chariot and, like a bird, flew into the airy abodes; and, without a doubt, to this day has not tasted death, not by the law of nature, but by the unique grace of its kind, unshakably observed by the power of faith. And why talk about it a lot? Enoch passed with his body from life to life, surpassing death and old age and nature in faith. Much more can be said about faith, but I limit the word so as not to cause excess. I know that divine words serve your Christ-loving ears not for satiety, but for love, however, I will return to the subject of speech. “A certain centurion’s servant, whom he treasured, was sick and dying” (Luke 7:2); he was a respected slave for his master. If the greed of life invented the slave, then the prudence of the master did not deny him the kinship of nature. He did not despise (him) as a slave, but loved him as a fellow tribesman, easing the heavy yoke of slavery with his love for mankind. Listen and learn, masters of slaves, so that you do not despise slaves as an alien nature, and do not wear out your relatives as enemies, obeying the word of blessed Paul: “Lords,” show equality to slaves, “moderating severity, knowing that both over you and over them there is a Lord in heaven” (Colossians 4:1; Eph.6:9). God allowed him to be a slave so that you could learn to be a servant of God. Do you demand good judgment from a slave? Be kind to the Lord yourself. Are you punishing him for his mistake? Do not sin, so as not to be punished by God. Do you not forgive your relative? And don't ask for forgiveness. The Gospel teaches you to pray like this: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (“forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors”) (Matthew 6:12). By seeking God's love for mankind, you also show love for mankind to your fellow tribesmen. “When he heard about Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to him” (“And when he heard about Jesus, the elders of the Jews sent to him”) (Luke 7:3). What did you hear? That He heals with a word, gives life to the dead with a word, drives away demons with a word, accomplishes everything with a word: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). He does not use herbs and medicines, but He pronounces the word and the deed is accomplished. Look what a difference there is between the centurion and the Jews! Having heard, he believed only by hearing and, having believed, approached as if he were approaching God; and they, looking at the miracles themselves, rejected the miracle worker, although sight is more effective than hearing. Sight is more effective than hearing, but their teacher of illness was wickedness. Therefore the blind men despised the Judge in their judgment. “He sent to Him the elders of the Jews to ask Him to come and heal his servant” (“The elders of the Jews sent, praying to him that when he came he would save his servant”) (Luke 7:3). “He sent the elders of the Jews to Him”; It is not out of pride that he refuses to come himself, but he does not dare to intercede for himself, due to the greatness of this dignity. He recognized himself as man from corruptible man, and Jesus as God from God, the only begotten Son from the unborn Father. Therefore, out of reverence, he sends the elders of the church, acting in an apostolic manner before the apostles: “Is anyone among you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him... and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (“if anyone is sick in you, let him call the elders of the church, and let them pray over him... and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” ) (James 5:14–15). So he sent the elders to Him, asking Him to come save his servant. Marvel at the compassion of this man! During the illness of his servant, he did not despise him, but exerted as much zeal as anyone would have shown in his own suffering. This refers to the virtue of a reasonable husband - to show so much zeal and send a petition on his own for the healing of the servant. He knew about the equality of nature, and did not despise him as a slave, but had compassion for him as a fellow servant, knowing that God exists for everyone in general. This was the centurion. Many of the rich demand service from the healthy without leniency, but do not care at all about the sick; when illness occurs and the slave is thrown to the ground, neither the master pays attention, nor the mistress watches; and if, when the mistress needs to approach, she does not look at her as if she were a relative, but listens with a gloomy look and speaks to her in harsh words, rejecting the kinship of nature out of arrogance. However, you read the Scripture. Don't you know what Saint David says? “Behold, as the eyes of servants are directed to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a servant are to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the Lord our God” (“Behold, as the eyes of a servant are in the hand of his masters, as the eyes of a servant are in the hand of her mistress: so are our eyes towards the Lord our God”) (Ps. 122:2). Almost an image, respect what is written, condescend to help the weak! The Savior, the only begotten Son of God, deigned to become a man for men; Do you, being a human being, refuse what is equal, as if from what is unequal, do you refuse compassion for your fellow nature? And when some foolish animal limps, you take care for your own benefit; and when what is reasonable, that is, your servant is sick, you reject (him) and do not care. Do you really neglect because what is reasonable serves you? And that’s why we envy. A man is very beautiful before God, but a merciful husband is precious. We do not pay attention to what is written, but we feed the external ones, chasing glory from people, and leave the internal ones to starve and freeze from the cold, and do not think about God’s reward. The centurion was not like that: sober in everything, in the proper sense a ruler, preserving property and himself as the property of God, filled with reason and shining with divine wisdom. Therefore, he sends the elders to Jesus in advance. They intercede with great readiness, offer enough persuasion and say: “The one to whom You show mercy is worthy; the recipient of the gift is prudent; worthy of Your coming. “For he loves our people and built us a synagogue” (“For he loves our tongue, and has created that host for us”) (Luke 7:5). Verily, there are sufficient signs of reverence for God, sufficient evidence of a good conscience. What is (the evidence)? Love for God and true affection for man. “For he loves our people” (“For he loves our tongue”), i.e. the law. “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (“The fulfillment of the law is love”) (Rom. 13:10). “And he built us a synagogue,” expressing love for God. By building a house for God, he erected, as it were, a visible column of his love for Him from everywhere. See how wonderful deeds, remembered in times of need, give much boldness to those for whom they intercede; Everywhere, wonderful deeds are sufficient to convince. So they interceded; Jesus accepted the elders' invitation, not respecting them, but approving the centurion's faith. He got up and went with them. He walked here and there with hesitation and made stops, not being late to perform a good deed, but waiting for the time to announce to everyone the disposition hidden within the centurion, to praise his unwavering faith in the denunciation of the unbelievers, in order to discover a pure and genuine work. “And when He was not far from home, the centurion sent friends to Him to say to Him: Do not labor, Lord! for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof” (Luke 7:6). At the first impulse of his soul he sends elders; but having done this and waiting at home, he does not remain in peace. Thinking to himself how much difference there is in dignity, he sends slaves ahead, with an invitation and the words: “Do not worry: “for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” Oh, the centurion's intelligence and sobriety! God, hidden in man, did not remain a secret for him; the only-begotten Word clothed with a body did not remain a secret for him. He sees the church and understands the inhabitant. The Lord did not remain a secret for him in the dignity of a slave, the king - in the form of a captive, the little one - in boundless greatness. Immediately Jesus is surprised and testifies to his high faith, to the noble impulse of his soul, according to which he said to the Savior: “I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” Such was Peter when he was amazed while fishing and realized the greatness of His power; then he turns to Him and says: “Get away from me, Lord! because I am a sinful man” (“depart from me, for I am a sinner, Lord”) (Luke 5:8). But maybe he didn’t know about Peter, but read in the book of Leviticus: leprosy lying unclean makes the one who falls ill (Lev. 13). White spots on the body, white rashes and lichens look like leprosy. For many, such lesions are indistinguishable, and especially at the beginning of the disease; hence the law desires the priest to be a judge in this. The law leads the priest to the house of the one being investigated; and there, recognizing it as leprosy, he declares everything in the house defiled. From here the majority prepares in advance, and then the priest is called. The blessed centurion, having thought about this, refuses the arrival of the Savior: “I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” There is a lot in that house; I know my sins; Before I am cleansed, I refuse Your coming as a judge. I know that You are the chief of all the priests and the bishop of the Father. “I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” Heaven is Your throne, and earth is Your footstool; what house can contain the inconceivable? I have no heavenly house for You to enter my house; I do not have a royal palace so that I can receive the King of heaven. How will I accept under my roof “he who builds Your high palaces above the waters” (“who covers his high waters with waters”) (Ps. 103:3)? How can I accept into my poor hotel as a roommate someone who measures the sky with a span? What house can contain the one who contains all heaven and earth together? “I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” As a benefactor, I admire (Your) coming, but as a judge, I fear (my) boldness. You are the observer of souls, the examiner of the entrails, the examiner of the heart and the judge of sins. “I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” I fear me; “But speak the word, and my servant will be healed” (“speak the word, and my servant will be healed”) (Luke 7:7). Don’t you think that the one who says, “only say the word,” knows for sure that “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were created, and by the spirit of His mouth all their hosts” (“By the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and... all their power”) (Ps. 33:6), that everything that exists is contained and governed by the Word? Enlightened with divine thought, this man, when he saw Jesus in the flesh, immediately recognized Him as the Son of God: “Say the word” only. I know what the wise Solomon foretold about You: “It was not grass or plaster that healed” Your people, “but Yours, O Lord, is the all-healing word” (“lower is the potion, lower is the duty to heal, but your word, O Lord, heals everything”) (Wis. 16:12). “Say the word” only. I know whose Word You are, and what power You possess, and that You have accomplished everything with Your Word. The Father did not suffer at Your birth; You do not suffer while creating, you do not suffer while arranging. “Say the word” only. Your word is most useful in everything; It does not strike the air, but it reveals Your desire. “Just say the word. Give a sign to confirm those who hear.” Look (what) prudence: he asks to postpone the arrival, but does not talk about his knowledge; testifies to Him of his knowledge, but refuses His coming. This wise thought is succeeded by another, greater one. So this man rises from strength to strength, and becomes a rich source of wonderful thoughts, youthful in the success of his teachings. “Just say the word, and my servant will recover. For I am a subordinate man, but having soldiers under my command, I say to one: go, and he goes; and to another: come, and he comes; and to my servant, do this, and he does it" ("and my servant will be healed. For I am a man made under a ruler, having soldiers under him, and I say to this man, go, and he goes: and to another, come, and he will come; and to the servant... do this, and he will do it") (Luke 7:7-8). I know that You, invested with power over all, have come to us as one of all. You came to us, just as we (we come), although you have power in everything, as Saint David says: “According to Your decrees, all things stand to this day, for all things serve You” (“You continue the day by Your discipline: for all things are done for You”) (Ps. 119:91). You sleep and the sea rises; You get up and the waves subside. You call the dead, and the dead obey faster than the living. “Just say the word, and my servant will recover. For I too am a subject to authority." Here he declares that the autocratic desire of the soul prevents one from ascending to the best. “I myself have warriors,” he calls the various thoughts nesting in a person warriors. Blessed Paul calls these soldiers: “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man; but in my members I see another law, warring against the law of my mind and making me captive of the law of sin” (“I delight in the law... according to the inward man: but I see another law... warring against the law of my mind, and taking me captive in the law of sin”) (Rom. 7:22-23). Exactly, he said: “I have ... soldiers, but I have no soldiers against me, I say to one: go, and he goes; and to another: come, and he comes”; he comes; I am not controlled, but I am controlled by my thoughts.” Perhaps the centurion is called a centurion because he, as the leader and ruler of the passions, shows us such firmness over unreasonable passions; may we all receive it by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, To whom be glory and dominion, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and in the Patrology of Min, classified as Spuria.