Matthew 8:11 Commentary and Bible Study

The great example of faith seen in this centurion, even though he is a Gentile, brings to Christ’s mind the coming call of the Gentiles. There will be those beyond the borders of Israel, from the east, the rising of the sun, to the west, the going down of the sun, who will be brought into Christ’s kingdom. This centurion is a kind of token of this future calling. Faith is the gift of God, but he gives it to whom he pleases, and although it was his will that Israel should be the sole custodian of his truth for many centuries after the covenant made with Abraham,, that covenant always made provision for the call of the Gentiles. These Gentile believers, like the centurion will come in on the same basis, with the same status, as any believing Jews. They too will join the table to eat and be invited to eat and celebrate at the marriage supper of the Lamb. On the day when Christ returns and brings in his kingdom, Jews and Gentiles will all be seated around the same table, having the same privileges as each other, and they will join with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give thanks for all that Christ has done for them. It is faith that matters and not lineage or physical descent from Abraham and the patriarchs. Abraham will look upon Gentile believers as his own children, those given to him according to God’s original promise that he would be the father of many nations. He is their father not because he is their ancestor – many of them never came from his stock – but he is their spiritual father, because they walk in the footsteps of his faith. They are born not of blood, nor of the will the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.