foreigners are coming from east and west to Israel at the end time, making clear that Israel will be the location of the end times. This aligns with the common Jewish belief of the time that Jerusalem would be the centre point of the end of the world. The verse is not clear if these people from the east and west are Gentiles, as contrasted with unfaithful Jews in the next verse. There were many Jews in lands to the east and west and the verse could be referring to them returning to Israel. Sharing a dinner table with a Gentile was in Jesus' time considered ritual defilement. If the foreigners are Gentiles, that the patriarchs themselves are sharing a table with the foreigners shows Jesus' rejection of these rules. Commentary from the Church Fathers Jerome: Or perhaps in the person of the centurion the faith of the Gentiles is preferred to that of Israel; whence He proceeds, But I say unto you, Many shall come from the east and from the west. Augustine: He says, not ‘all,’ I but many; yet these from the east and west; for by these two quarters the whole world is intended. Haymo of Halberstadt: Or; From the east shall come they, who pass into the kingdom as soon as they are enlightened; from the west they who have suffered persecution for the faith even unto death. Or, he comes from the east, who has served God from a child; he from the west who in decrepit age has turned to God. Adamantius (Pseudo-Origen): How then does He say in another place, that the chosen are few? Because in each generation there are few that are chosen, but when all are gathered together in the day of visitation they shall be found many. They shall sit down, not the bodily posture, but the spiritual rest, not with human food, but with an eternal feast, teeth Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, where is light, joy, glory, and eternal length of days. Jerome: Because the God of Abraham, the Maker of heaven, is the Father of Christ, therefore also is Abraham in the kingdom of heaven, and with him will sit down the nations who have believed in Christ the Son of the Creator. Notes References 08:11