Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
Read Chapter 23
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
The person who crucified the author of his salvation and afterward did not beg for forgiveness is not free from sin. Granted, he did not know previously whom he was persecuting. Nevertheless he should have recognized that the one placed on the cross was the Lord of all the elements. All the elements trembled beneath him. The sky was darkened. The sun fled away. The earth split apart. The tombs of the dead lay open, and the dead regained the company of the living. For this reason also the centurion said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” The centurion recognizes a stranger, but the Levite does not know his own. The Gentile worships him, but the Hebrew denies him. It was reasonable that the pillars of the world moved when the chief priests did not believe. .
O the breasts of the Jews, harder than the rocks! The Judge acquits, the officer believes, the traitor by his death condemns his own crime, the elements flee away, the earthquakes, the graves are opened; the hardness of the Jews still remains immovable, though the whole world is shaken.
There is no contradiction in that the centurion seeing the earthquake marveled, whereas Luke says that hemarveled, that Jesus while uttering the loud voice expired, showing what power He had when He was dying. But in that Matthew not only says, at the sight of the earthquake, but added, and at the things that were done, he has made it clear that there was ample room for Luke tosay, that the centurion marveled at the death of the Lord. But because Luke also himself said, Now when the centurion saw what was done, he has included in that general expression allthe marvelous things which took place at that hour, as if relating one marvelous event of which all those miracles were the parts and members. Again, because one Evangelist stated that the centurion said, Truly this man was the Son of God, but Luke gives the words, was ajust man, they might be supposed to differ. But either we ought to understand that both these were said by the centurion, and that one Evangelist related one, another...
By their smiting their breasts as if betokening apenitential sorrow, two things may be understood; either that they bewailed Him unjustly slain whose life they loved, or that remembering that they had demanded His death, they trembled to see Him in death still farther glorified. But we may observe, that the Gentiles fearing God glorify Him with works of public confession; the Jews only striking their breasts returned silent home.
Rightly then by the centurion is the faith of the Church signified, which in the silence of the synagogue bears witness to the Son of God. And now is fulfilled that complaint which the Lord makes to His Father, neighbor and friend have you put far from me, and mine acquaintance because of a misery. Hence it follows, And all his acquaintance stood afar off.
When the centurion saw what happened, he glorified God. He said, “Truly this man was righteous.” Please observe that immediately after Christ endured the passion on the cross for us, he began to win many to the knowledge of the truth. It says, “When he saw what happened, the centurion glorified God saying, ‘Truly this man was righteous.’ ” Certain Jews also beat their chests, because their consciences doubtlessly pricked them. Their mind’s eye looked up to the Lord. Perhaps they tried to clear themselves of their impious conduct against Christ by shouting against those who crucified him, although they dared not do this openly because of their rulers’ impiety. Our Lord spoke the truth, saying, “When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.” Commentary on Luke, Homily
Jesus’ kinsfolk stood far off so that [the word of the psalmist] might be fulfilled: “My neighbors stood far off.” They killed him before the sabbath, while there was opportunity for death, and before the sabbath they buried him, while there was place for mourning. For the sabbath itself is the boundary mark for toil, and on it all distress must remain [hidden] within. There is no place for suffering on it, and neither has it any share in corruption. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron
The words of our Lord seem now to be fulfilled, wherein He said, When I shall be lifted up I will draw all men to me. For when lifted upon the cross He drew to Him the thief and the centurion, besides some of the Jews also, of whom it follows, And all the people that came together smote their breasts.
But the race of women formerly cursed remains and sees all these things; for it follows, And the women which followed him from Galilee, seeing these things. And thus they are the first to be renewed by Justification, or by the blessing which flows from His passion, as also from His resurrection.
But the race of women formerly cursed remains and sees all these things; for it follows, And the women which followed him from Galilee, seeing these things. And thus they are the first to be renewed by Justification, or by the blessing which flows from His passion, as also from His resurrection.
