Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 8:10

"And when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." — Matthew 8:10 (ASV)

Jesus is astonished at the faith of the centurion and he addressed those following him (not necessarily his disciples; cf. 4:25; 8:1) with a solemn saying. Jesus commended the man’s faith. The greatness of his faith did not rest in the mere fact that he believed Jesus could heal from a distance but in the degree to which he had penetrated the secret of Jesus’ authority. That faith was the more surprising since the centurion was a Gentile and lacked the heritage of OT revelation to help him understand Jesus. But this Gentile penetrated more deeply into the nature of Jesus’ person and authority than any Jew of his time. Matthew’s words, therefore, underline the movement of the Gospel from the Jews to all people regardless of race—a movement prophesied in the OT, developed in Jesus’ ministry (see comments on 1:1, 3–5; 2:1–12), and commanded by the Great Commission (28:18–20).