Let the dead bury their dead

Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.


Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.


Jesus was ready to leave and those who had spent time listening to Him didn't want Him to go, so much so that they were ready to follow Him. The people knew this was a very special man, He spoke as none other had ever spoke. The hearts of the people were pricked inside their chests. The words weren't spoken offhandedly, the words weren't spoken pompously. Each word that fell from the lips of the Savior held meaning and those hearing these words of the kingdom were touched in ways they'd never been touched before. Have you ever heard a stirring message? Did you ever listen to someone and want to hear more? Perhaps an eloquent Pastor has spoken God's word in such a way you felt the need for more and wished the sermon would go on and on. So often we hear all about people falling asleep during church, children fidgeting, all the people there enduring the hour or so message out of a sense of duty. We have seldom heard of people eager to go to church, people looking forward to the time spent learning more of God, church goers actually wanting the sermon to not end. Yet here Jesus had much to say and many listeners, many who didn't want to leave the presence of the Lord. However- Jesus in His message had preached this…


Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.


Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.


These were the words the people listening to Jesus heard, this was all part of His glorious message.


Do you think this man was contemplating all the messages of Jesus? Or was He dazzled by the many miracles Jesus performed that day after He'd spoken?


Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick


Just picture the scene- you're there right there to witness first hand the Savior healing people left and right- people you know, people you don't know. Miracle after miracle coming from this amazing, unique man! This amazing teacher speaking in such a way that you'd never heard before- with true authority. How absolutely life changing! No wonder people were telling Jesus they wanted to follow Him.


Now let's read this again--


Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.


Suffer me first to go bury my father.


The obvious is that His father has died or is dying, right? Honestly we don't know when He died, or why this man was there with Jesus when His father died. Had his father been ill and someone come to where this man was to tell him his father died? It doesn't seem too logical does it. To have a father on his death bed and not plead with Jesus to revive him- is that logical? It is suspected that the man had a very old father and though he wasn't dead the man knew that sooner than later he would die and it was his duty to remain with his father until then.


What was Jesus' reply to this man?


Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.


Let the dead bury their dead.


How can the dead bury the dead? The dead can't bury the dead because they are dead…but the SPIRITUALLY dead can bury the dead, yes?


Jesus would NEVER be disrespectful, or promote disrespect in a son to a father, Jesus was all about children honoring their parents. Jesus would have understood the customs of burying the dead- the old testament spoke of Abraham burying Sarah, Jacob burying Rachel, Joseph burying Jacob…


Gen 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
Gen 50:6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

Gen 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.


Yes, Jesus would know all about burying the dead and wouldn't even hint at it being wrong to burying your father, except this man's father must not have been dead- or else he wouldn't have been there listening and watching Jesus as He preached and performed miracle after miracle. The expectation of someone dying isn't the way we are to live. We should NOT live our lives around the fact that our parents will die, or that anyone we love will die. We can't let the fact of death- however old someone is, ancient or young still- impact our lives taking from us living for our Savior.


This man wanted to follow Jesus but also was living his life in the expectation of his father's death. That man had NO way to know who long his father would live. Often some of the most frail old people seem to hold on a lot longer than expected. When the man told Jesus he wanted to bury his father before following Jesus this was telling Jesus that there was something in the man's life that he put before God. I've already said that honoring your mother and father wasn't the issue here, but we aren't to put anything or anyone before following God.


Jesus even said a man was to leave his parents…


Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?


Jesus also had this to say…


Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.


We are to love NONE above God. God first and foremost then our fellow man.


Jesus said this…


Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.


If we choose to let LIFE get in the way of a life with Christ we are spiritually dead! If we are spiritually dead we might as well bury the dead and not concern ourselves with following Christ as a second thought.


It's true! We have to understand this!!! We have to!


If we choose to let ANYTHING in our life get in the way of a life lived for CHRIST we are spiritually dead!


So many things will call us away from God. So many things will beckon to us with their logic, with their compassionate heart strings, with their family ties, with their allure so great it's all but impossible to resist. The devil will stop at nothing to keep us from God and he'll use anything to get us to put Jesus second in our lives, or third, or fourth…and so on just as long as we don't put Him first and foremost. Life with all its intricate little and big ways will interfere at every turn. Just when we are choosing God first life will throw another curveball at us and when we are hit by that curveball it will be with the intention of knocking us out of the game, out of a life with Christ truly being first.


Let the dead bury their dead. Choose to be among the living, for we are only really alive in Christ! As long as Christ is first in all that we do in life we are living! Whenever we choose to do anything without Christ first we are dead- spiritually dead.


Let the dead bury their dead.


By the grace and mercy of our Savior may we not be among the dead burying their dead!


In His love, in His righteousness, in His kingdom!


Amen!