Let the dead bury their own dead

[LayHong_Loves_Christ]

Luke 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Does Jesus mean we cannot bury our parents?

 

[HTacianas]

Luke 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Does Jesus mean we cannot bury our parents?

No, it doesn't mean we can't bury our parents. Those are examples of the importance of the apostles proclaiming the gospel. Spreading the gospel was more important than their personal lives. Most of them went on to not only sacrifice their personal lives but to sacrifice their lives themselves.

 

[Br4nd0n]

If that man buried his father it would have taken 18 months in Judaism. The man would have to wait for the flesh to rot off the bones before the man could remove
his dads bones from the sepulcher and place the bones with his grandfathers.

Jesus knew there wasnt time for that since He was going to be crucified. If he wanted to follow Jesus he had to do it "now!"

 

[Lost4words]

If that man buried his father it would have taken 18 months in Judaism. The man would have to wait for the flesh to rot off the bones before the man could remove
his dads bones from the sepulcher and place the bones with his grandfathers.

Jesus knew there wasnt time for that since He was going to be crucified. If he wanted to follow Jesus he had to do it "now!"

That, is a great explanation.

 

[Nettle]

Thanks for making the thread topic. I have had trouble understanding this scripture ...
What does Jesus mean by the "dead burying their own dead" ? (as a separate offshoot question)
Is the first dead spiritual deadness?

 

[Tranquil Bondservant]

From: The IVP Bible Background Commentary (NT)​

"9:59–60. Family members would not be outside talking with *rabbis during the mourning period, the week immediately following the death. The initial burial took place shortly after a person’s decease, and would have already occurred by the time this man would be speaking with Jesus. But a year after the first burial, after the flesh had rotted off the bones, the son would return to rebury the bones in a special box in a slot in the tomb wall. Thus the son here could be asking for as much as a year’s delay. Others note that in some Semitic languages, “wait until I bury my father” is a way of asking for delay until one may complete one’s filial obligations, even if the father is not yet dead.
Even on these interpretations, however, Jesus’ demand is significant; while not highlighting urgency the way that 9:61–62 would, it would still underline the priority of following Jesus. One of an eldest son’s most important responsibilities was his father’s burial. Jesus’ demand that the son place Jesus above this responsibility could thus sound subversive: in Jewish tradition, honoring father and mother was one of the greatest commandments, and to follow Jesus in such a radical way would seem to break this commandment. Some sages might demand greater honor than parents in principle, but neglecting a father’s burial in practice would make this son a reproach in his village, perhaps for the rest of his life."

Edit: Thought I'd add this verse in too since it was in your OP.
"9:61–62. One needed to keep one’s eyes on the path of the plow to keep its furrow from becoming crooked. The hand-held plow was light and wooden and often had an iron point.
When Elijah found Elisha plowing, he called him to follow but allowed him first to bid farewell to his family (1 Kings 19:19–21). Jesus’ call here is more radical than that of a radical prophet."

Keener, Craig S. 2014. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.

 

[Cornelius8L]

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

LOL! This thought just came to mind. If both deads refer to those physically alive but spiritually dead (Revelation 3:1) and burying refers to baptism (Colossians 2:12), it would have a different meaning.

 

[mikeforjesus]

Jesus does teach you should follow now not when people are dead even if it could cause you not to have chance to see parents before they die but it is not wrong to visit them if you know they are sick incase they die though it may not be safe and even Christian’s should support to follow now though others are not dead if they are Christian following Christ they should seek to follow Christ once they found way to find work to support themselves alone which they can if they look until they do to trust God when they do seek Him to in mean time to work where you are till you find to trust God to show you if you seek Him enough to work where you are till you have chance to seek Him enough to focus on serving kingdom.

But priority should not be anything on earth if Christ does not will it but seek first the righteousness of kingdom and if Christ thinks it good He will arrange it. For you should not be consumed with care about how to be rich that your thoughts are on it but work just what you need to but your focus should be on serving God and trust God for your daily needs not to worry that you must seek to ensure you can provide for tommorow to be rich but God will supply your needs to give you what you need.

If He wishes riches He will show you without you worrying what you can do but you should be content with your needs being met and must not worry about tommorow but trust in Him for daily bread to only focus on today that He will provide all your needs and what is good for you to show you if it is His will what else you can do today to allow riches to increase if it is His will if you are faithful on little to focus on serving kingdom not even focusing on any earthly thing even marriage though it is right to pursue it if it is good for you that other Christian’s are required to help if it is but you can not control to allow it to control your life to feel you need to focus on care to be rich and not serving Jesus only if He provides to do what you are able to do but if not to be focused to be busy serving Jesus and work for yourself.

 

[Water and Fire]

Luke 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Does Jesus mean we cannot bury our parents?

It's parabolic, otherwise, it makes no sense.

 

[disciple Clint]

Luke 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Does Jesus mean we cannot bury our parents?

God does not want us to put anything ahead of Him, serve God first.

 

[LayHong_Loves_Christ]

Today's funeral is only a few days up to 1 week.
So Jesus will not stop us from burying or cremating our parents.

 

[disciple Clint]

Today's funeral is only a few days up to 1 week.
So Jesus will not stop us from burying or cremating our parents.

No He will not, He was making a point, Serve God First

 

[ViaCrucis]

Luke 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Does Jesus mean we cannot bury our parents?

No. The common understanding is that the man's father was still very much alive. The man wasn't saying, "let me go bury my father because he just passed away", but rather he was saying, "I'll get around to it eventually, but right now I need to care for my father." Why couldn't the man follow the Lord and also care for his father? He was making an excuse, he was trying to find a justification for why he couldn't follow Jesus.

Think about all the times throughout the day we are presented with opportunities to follow Jesus, but we make excuses or rationalizations to not follow Him. How often do you and I say the same kind of things, "Lord, I can't follow you right now, I have to do this other thing instead." "Oh, Lord, I can't follow You right now, I am really busy going to work, I'm really busy being a parent, I'm really busy being a child, I'm really busy being a doctor, I'm really busy being a construction worker." Etc. Well Jesus didn't say to not be a parent, or to not be an obedient child, or to be negligent as a doctor or construction worker. What He said was "Follow Me".

Because we're just making up excuses. What we are really saying is, "Lord, Your way is hard, and I want to do my own things right now." It's just excuses, it's just rationalizations.

Because we can, and indeed, DO follow Jesus as parents, obedient children, as doctors, construction workers, as husbands and wives, and as grandparents, and as neighbors, etc. We follow Jesus right now.

-CryptoLutheran