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Commentary on the Gospel – December 1, 2025
Several times the Gospels show us Jesus refusing to intervene in the lives of pagans. Things must follow their order, as Isaiah 2:2 says: first the faith of Israel must be confirmed (“the mountain of the Lord will stand firm”), and then the pagan nations will come to share in its blessings. Jesus says it clearly: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).
In the ancient biblical manuscripts, many punctuation marks are missing—no question marks, no exclamation points. In today’s text, Jesus’ response to the Roman was probably a rhetorical question (let’s add the question mark), which is really a refusal: “Do I have to go and heal your servant?” The centurion understands that Jesus is right: He will not enter the house of a pagan. The centurion humbly admits that he does not belong to the chosen people, that salvation will reach him only later. He accepts Jesus’ hesitation to grant him the favor: “I am not worthy that you…”
But after this confession of humility comes an amazing confession of faith in Christ, which later translations may have blurred. The centurion contrasts his own authority with that of Jesus. His authority is limited, subordinate; he is not Caesar. Yet he does have some real power over soldiers and servants. In contrast, he recognizes that Jesus has absolute authority. “How could you not give an order, even from a distance, for my servant’s sake?” Jesus Himself is astonished at the pagan’s faith. The Greek text says etháumasen—He was amazed. Apparently, His fellow Jews, with all their Old Testament preparation, had not yet grasped His unlimited messianic authority.
This opens up for Jesus, and for Matthew’s Church, great missionary hopes: “Many will come from the East and the West and will sit at the table with the patriarchs…” And what pains Matthew most: many “children of the kingdom,” that is, Jews called first, will be left outside.
The evangelist gives his Church a strong warning: do not rest on your laurels, do not take everything for granted. The first conversion does not guarantee perseverance. Saint Paul speaks of the Jews who were part of the true olive tree but were broken branches, while branches from wild olive trees were grafted in their place.
The lesson is for inside the Church and also for outside: no one should be considered a lost cause. The pagan, the immoral person, the corrupt or exploitative politician—all still have the capacity to recognize Jesus as their Savior. Even more, an attitude of humility and sincere faith can “change” the expected order of salvation: in this case, the pagan ahead of the Jew.
Your brother,