Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
All Commentaries on Luke 7:1 Go To Luke 7
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
But having finished His teaching, He rightly instructs them to follow the example of His precepts. For straightway the servant of a Gentile centurion is presented to the Lord to be healed. Now the Evangelist, when he said that the servant was about to die, did not err, because he would have died had he not been healed by Christ.
Which certainly He did not do, because He was unable to heal when absent, but that He might set them an example of imitating His humility. He would not go to the son of the nobleman, lest He should seem thereby to have respected his riches; He went immediately here, that He might not seem to have despised the low estate of a centurion's servant. But the centurion laying aside his military pride puts on humility, being both willingto believe and eager to honor; as it follows, And when he was not far off, he sent to him, saying, Trouble not yourself: for I am not worthy your For by the power not of man, but of God, he supposed that health was given to man. The Jews indeed alleged his worthiness; but he confessed himself unworthy not only of the benefit, but even of receiving the Lord under his roof; For I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.
But Luke well says, that friends were sent by the centurion to meet our Lord, lest by his own coming he might seem both to embarrass our Lord, and to have called for a requital of good offices. Hence it follows, Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come to you, but say in a word and my servant shall be healed.
And indeed if you read it thus, “In none in Israel have I foundso great faith,” the meaning is simple and easy. But if according to the Greek, “Not even in Israel have I found so great faith,” faith of this kind is preferred even to that of the more elect, and those that see God.
The faith of the master is proved, and the health of the servant established, as it follows, And they that were sent returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. It is possible then that the good deed of amaster may advantage his servants, not only through the merit of faith, but the practice of discipline.
Mystically, by the centurion's servant is signified that the Gentile people who were enthralled by the chain of heavenly bondage, and diseased with deadly passions, are tobe healed by the mercy of the Lord.
But the centurion wished not to trouble Jesus, for Whom the Jewish people crucified, the Gentiles desire to keep inviolate from injury, and (as touching a mystery) he saw that Christ was not yet able to pierce the hearts of the Gentiles.
