The centurion approached Jesus not by halves, but fully. He approached with great faith, and with true humility, and wisdom, and true love. Great faith he had, when he said, "Lord, say thy word, and my servant shall be healed." But he manifested great humility, when he said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof." He had great wisdom, when he understood that Christ is everywhere present, through his divine nature, who went bodily visible among men. He was not void of true love, when he besought the Lord for the health of his servant. Many other men besought the Lord, some for their own health, some for their children's, some for their dear friends'; but this officer prayed {129} with true love for the health of his servant, for that makes no distinction with regard to family relationship. The Lord saw the manifold goodness of this officer, and said, "I will come and heal thy servant." John the Evangelist wrote that "An under-king came to Christ, and besought him that he would go home with him and heal his son; for he lay at the point of death. Then said Jesus to the under-king, Return home, thy son liveth. He believed the speech of Jesus, and went home. Then came his servants towards him, and informed him that his son was well. He then inquired at what hour he recovered. They said, Yesterday, after mid-day, the fever left him. Then the father knew that it was the hour at which Jesus said to him, Go home, thy son liveth. The king then believed in God, and all his family." The Lord would not, invited, go bodily to the king's sick son, but absent healed him by his word; and he was ready, uninvited, to go bodily with the centurion. Everyone well knows that a king has greater power than any centurion, but the Almighty Son of God manifested by that deed, that we should not honour the rich for their riches, but for human nature; nor should we despise the indigent for their indigence; but that we should honour God's image in them. The humble Son of God was ready to visit the servant by his presence, and he healed the prince with his behest; on which the prophet said, "The Lord supreme beholdeth the humble, and knoweth the proud from afar." The Lord wondered at the centurion's faith, not because he knew it not before, who knows all things, but he to whom he was wonderful manifested to men his faith with praise. Whence came the officer's faith but of Christ's gift, who afterwards praised him in these words? "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in the people of Israel." {131} This was not said of the patriarchs or prophets, but of the present people, who were not yet of so great faith.