A Roman centurion said those words when he approached Jesus, revealing that he had a paralyzed servant, and Jesus immediately said that He would go and heal the servant.

However, this Roman centurion said,

“Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it’” (Matthew 8:8–9).

The man understood authority, and thus also knew that Jesus only had to speak the word to effect a miraculous healing, but that simultaneously, the man’s position of authority did not match that of Jesus, and so, now get this, a Roman centurion said that he was not worthy for the Lord to go to his home.

The Lord blessed the man by healing his servant in absentia, and by speaking high words of commendation.