We hear about the centurion and his refusal of Jesus’ offer to come and heal his servant.
For St. Augustine, the centurion’s greatness lay not merely in believing Jesus could heal from a distance, but in combining strong confidence in Christ’s power with a deep awareness of his own unworthiness. Thus, humility is precisely what made his faith remarkable. I ask myself how he attained this kind of humility.
The Knowledge of who he is
“Know thyself” is a Delphic maxim that was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in ancient Greece. It serves as a salutation for those entering the temple. This is important because someone who does not know who he is will surely not know what he ought to do.
Though the Roman officer occupied a position of great authority and prestige, he considered himself unworthy of a visit from Jesus. William Barclay describes centurions as the backbone of the Roman army. That tells us that our positions in life or our achievements do not necessarily influence our actions. The humble are those who know that they have nothing to offer God that God has not first given them.
Furthermore, he considered himself an unworthy Gentile. He may also have been aware of Jewish concerns regarding entering a Gentile home and therefore wished to spare Jesus any criticism.
We notice here that Jesus was willing to be regarded as unclean in the eyes of His disciples and the crowds that usually followed Him. That tells us that Jesus has an eye not only for those who welcomed him but also for those regarded as ‘outsiders’.
Many Jews of Jesus’ time believed that, because they belonged to God’s chosen people, they already enjoyed a privileged standing before Him.
The First Letter of St. Peter states: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble'” (1 Peter 5:5).
Some Christian theologians of the sixteenth century argued that knowing oneself was either a path to, or synonymous with, the knowledge of God.
The Knowledge of Who Jesus is
Secondly, his humility sprang from a trust that understood who Jesus is. As a military officer, the centurion understood authority better than most people. Yet the more authority he possessed, the more readily he recognized a higher authority in Christ. Those who truly understand authority know that it is received, not possessed absolutely. The centurion saw that all earthly authority pales before the authority of the Son of God. Humility is an attitude that acknowledges God’s sovereignty, and in the case of the centurion, His authority over sickness and death.
Jesus responded to his humility by saying: “Truly I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” (Matthew 8:10)
His Humility is ours
This is the humility to which the Church invites us when we encounter our Lord in Holy Communion at Holy Mass. The Church places the centurion’s words on our lips before Holy Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
Every Mass reminds us that salvation is not earned by our merits but received through God’s mercy. We approach the altar not because we deserve Christ, but because Christ graciously invites us.
Conclusion
St. Bernard of Clairvaux called humility “the mother and guardian of all virtues.” Without it, the other virtues are built on sand — beautiful in appearance, unstable at the root.
The centurion teaches us that genuine faith and humility always belong together. Like the centurion, we are invited to come before the Lord with humble hearts, knowing that it is not our worthiness that draws Christ to us, but His boundless love and mercy.
Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Mt. 8:5-17.
