The Example of the Centurion
By Protopresbyter Fr. George Metallinos
4TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW (Matthew 8:5-13)
By Protopresbyter Fr. George Metallinos
4TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW (Matthew 8:5-13)
“When Jesus heard it, He marveled…” (Matthew 8:10)
1. Today's Gospel presents us with the rough portrait of a soldier who is drawn to the charm of our Christ. When one sees so many qualities in a person's soul, it is understandable to feel a certain surprise. Life and history have accustomed us to perceive a soldier somewhat differently, as a hard and violent individual. Not infrequently, the abuses of certain individuals lead to a disgust towards the military class and, in general, towards anyone in uniform, as they are believed to be associated with violence and imposition.
The centurion has a specific reason for coming to Christ. He rushes to meet Him, to plead for his servant, who suffered from paralysis. Just this act elevates this man significantly in our consciousness, considering the status of slaves, especially during that time. Slaves were only human in form; socially, they were not different from animals. They performed all the heavy labor – similar to what foreign workers do today or what illegal immigrants endure – and they lived at the mercy of their masters, who treated them as they wished. For such a socially degraded being, the centurion comes to plead. What weighs even more heavily on his action is that he sees his servant not as his property, but as a member of his family. For it is certain that he would not have shown greater concern for one of his children.
