Who says so?
For I too am a man under authority Matthew 8:9
Authority – Were you under the false impression that the message of the Bible is about your salvation? Did you think that Jesus came just to get you to heaven? If that’s what you thought, you did not understand what the Centurion understood. You don’t know the real meaning of faith. But you can learn.
The biggest question in the Bible is this: Whose authority are you under? Salvation and the experience of being in the presence of the Father are only the byproducts of answering this question. Jesus came to open the way for you to place yourself under God’s authority. In fact, if eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son, then you will not experience that life until you come under authority.
The Greek helps us see what this means. Exousia (authority) comes from a verb meaning “what is permitted”. To be under authority is to be under the permission of another. Quite simply, it is to do the will of someone else. That sounds very much like the life of Jesus and it should. He is the ultimate model of a man under authority. And if we are going to participate in the life He exemplified, we too must come under the permission of another. That’s why the authority question is the only real question in life. Either I am under God’s authority and I do only what He permits, or I am under my own authority and I do whatever I feel is right for me. Those under God’s authority put their lives at His disposal, live according to His wishes and set aside all of their own agendas. They are slaves of the King. As a result, the King cares for them and desires them to be with Him forever. But those who decide that they may permit themselves to do what they deem right are removed from the presence of the King. They do not belong in His house.
The Greek word tells us a bit more. Exousia implies the power to carry out what is commanded. Under the authority of another, I am given the capability to exercise the will of my master. I have his power behind me. I represent him and all that he is.
Imagine it! Under God’s authority, I do not stand alone. I stand with the strength of the Almighty. I am God’s will in this place, at this moment. Who will dare to stand against me! The Centurion got it. Where his feet stood, he represented all the power of Rome. Where my feet stand, I represent all the power of God. Under authority, I am invincible.
The question of life is this: Who says so for me?
