Mt 8:5-11
5When [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”
RECLINE WITH ABRAHAM: Of the patriarchs whose stories are found in Genesis, Abraham is the most important. The Jews in Jesus’ time see him as the Father of the Jewish people, and the original source of blessings for the Jewish people. In many instances, God’s compassion towards the Israelites is invoked on the basis of God’s covenant with Abraham (Dt 9:27; 2 Kgs 13:23; Mi 7:18-20). It was Abraham’s obedience to God (Gn 26:4-5) that is the basis for the blessing of his descendants.
The great role of Abraham in the Jewish faith is also illustrated in non-canonical literature. In these writings, Abraham is noted for his power of intercession, and he ascends to the heavens where he receives revelation (see 4 Ezra 3:14-15).
Jesus identifies Abraham as one who is indeed in heaven. He teaches that Abraham presides at the eschatological banquet together with Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets (Lk 13:28). Jesus uses the heavenly Abraham as a figure to express what paradise is for the Jews: to be carried by angels to “Abraham’s bosom” (Lk 16:24).
Jesus, however, underlines that “to recline with Abraham” is not simply based on being Jewish by birth. In the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, the rich man addresses Abraham as “Father,” yet Abraham refuses to assist him and bring him relief (Lk 16:25-26). To recline with Abraham is the fruit of righteousness, and hence, Gentiles could be included, while certain Jews may find themselves excluded in the heavenly banquet. For this last consideration, Abraham is also an appropriate figure because he himself welcomed strangers in his lifetime (Gn 18).