This morning, we looked at one of my favorite stories in Luke 7, where a Roman centurion shows incredible faith by asking Jesus to heal his servant—not by coming in person, but just by speaking the word. What really stands out to me is when the centurion says, “I also am a man set under authority.” He understands how authority works, and he recognizes that Jesus is under God’s authority too. That’s powerful. Even Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, and that challenges us to think: Who do we submit to? We all need accountability—whether it’s to our church, spouse, or spiritual leaders—because true freedom and spiritual growth come when we live under God’s authority, not just our own.

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Good morning, and happy Monday. I hope you’re doing well and had a great weekend. And no matter when you’re watching or listening to this—whether it’s early on a Monday or late into the day—I hope your week is off to a good start. It’s good to be with you as we continue together in the Gospel of Luke.

I had a friend of mine, Lonny — Lonny, if you’re watching or listening, hey there—who used to laugh at me. We’ve been friends a long time, going back to my time in Petal. Lonnie would always joke that I say, “This is my favorite passage,” about just about every passage I teach from. He’d say, “Andy, whatever you’re reading that day tends to be your favorite.”

And… yeah, kinda true. Whatever I’m reading often feels like my favorite. But today’s story—today’s passage—isn’t just another “favorite.” It’s one that’s made me stop and think, one that I’ve meditated on a lot over the years. So let’s read it together.

We’re in Luke 7:1–10:

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he highly valued, who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.”

And Jesus went with them. But when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

So, we’re introduced to a Roman centurion. This man was a military leader, part of the Roman occupying force. My study notes make a great point here—he was probably a local citizen who volunteered for service, as there was a Roman legion stationed in Galilee.

A centurion commanded around 80 soldiers. Originally, the term came from commanding a century, or 100 soldiers, but the size had changed by this time, even though the title remained. He would’ve been wealthy, which explains how he could afford to build the synagogue.

There’s some debate about whether this man was a Gentile or not. The text doesn’t make it perfectly clear, but he seems to have been a friend of the Jewish people. The elders tell Jesus, “He is worthy,” because of all he’s done for them. That said, Jesus’ comment—“Not even in Israel have I found such faith”—suggests a contrast. It sounds like Jesus is holding up this Gentile’s faith as an example.

Now, let me tell you why I really love this passage. It’s not just because of the centurion’s faith—though, that’s a huge part of it. His faith is simple and profound: “Jesus, you don’t have to come. If you say it’s going to happen, then I believe it will.”

Y’all, that’s faith. That’s the kind of faith Jesus talked about when he said we only need faith the size of a mustard seed. The centurion believes that Jesus’ word alone has power. That’s incredible.

But even more than that, I love verse 8. Listen to what the centurion says:

“For I also am a man set under authority…”

He doesn’t say, “I’m a man who has authority”—even though he does have authority. He says, “I am set under authority.”That hits me every time.

Because what does that say about Jesus?

It says that even Jesus submitted himself to the authority of his Father. Jesus wasn’t acting as a free agent. He was under the authority of God.

The centurion understood this. He recognized how authority works. He had people above him and people under him. He gave orders, and they were followed. But he also received orders. That’s how any military structure functions. Everyone reports to someone—unless you’re the commander-in-chief.

I’ve often joked that Methodist preachers and military folks are alike—we both have commanding officers. We go where we’re sent. As a United Methodist pastor, I have my SPRC, my DS, my bishop. I don’t have a ton of power in the structure—I’m accountable to others.

So when the centurion says, “I also am a man set under authority,” he’s recognizing something powerful about Jesus. Yes, Jesus has authority—over sickness, over nature, over life and death. But he also submits to the will of the Father.

What does Jesus say in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Not my will, but yours be done.”

That submission is a model for us.

So let me ask you this: Who do you submit to?

Jesus submitted to the authority of his Father.

The centurion submitted to his commanding officers.

Who holds you accountable?

We are not moral free agents. We all submit to something. As a Baptist preacher friend of mine once said, “We’re either slaves to sin or slaves to God. But we’re all slaves to something.”

I submit to my spiritual leaders. My wife and I are mutually submitted to each other, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” And I need that. I know myself. I’m stubborn. I want things my way.

I joked with someone recently—“If I were in control of everything, things would be great!” But that kind of thinking isn’t good for me—or anyone. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Even Jesus lived under authority.

So again I ask: Who do you submit to? Who holds you accountable?

If you don’t have anyone in your life like that, it’s a dangerous place to be. Even Jesus didn’t live that way.

That’s something worth pondering today.

Who has authority over you?

And how is that submission part of your path to spiritual health?

Because, friends, submission and accountability—they’re not about weakness. They’re about freedom. About order. About trusting God enough to say, “Not my will, but yours.”

Thanks for being with us today. Tomorrow, we’ll pick up with Luke 7:11. See you then.