Let the dead bury their own dead

[TonyChanYT]

Luke 9:

59 He [Jesus] said to another man [M1], “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.”

Wasn't Jesus a bit harsh?

No, according to Smith's Bible Commentary:

And Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead: but you go and preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60 ).
You say, "Wow, how cold and insensitive Jesus must have been. Wouldn't even allow this fellow to go and attend his father's funeral. Why anybody lets you off work to attend your dad's funeral." But that phrase, "Allow me first to bury my father," is an interesting phrase of procrastination. It doesn't mean that your father is dead. It is a phrase that they still use to the present day, that says, I want to stick around home for a while. I want to wait till my father dies, and then I'll come. And it didn't mean that his father was dead and was ready to be buried, because they always buried people within two hours after they were dead. So when he says, "Allow me first to bury my father," he is saying, "Maybe down the road a ways, I've got a few things I want to do first, and down the road a ways maybe I'll do it. Me first."

Likewise, Barclay's Daily Study Bible:

Jesus' words to the second man sound harsh, but they need not be so. In all probability the man's father was not dead, and not even nearly dead. His saying most likely meant, "I will follow you after my father has died." An English official in the East tells of a very brilliant young Arab who was offered a scholarship to Oxford or Cambridge. His answer was, "I will take it after I have buried my father." At the time his father was not much more than forty years of age.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible expressed a similar sentiment. This interpretation of Luke 9:60 is consistent with Moses' commanded in Exodus 20:

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

The man [M1] dishonored his father.

 

[APAK]

Luke 9:


Wasn't Jesus a bit harsh?

No, according to Smith's Bible Commentary:


Likewise, Barclay's Daily Study Bible:


Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible expressed a similar sentiment. This interpretation of Luke 9:60 is consistent with Moses' commanded in Exodus 20:


The man [M1] dishonored his father.

I agree with the two commentary assessments of wanting first to wait around to make a decision to action. And Jesus thought this action of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom was urgent and immediate.

I also do see a another hidden meaning, a play on words in what Jesus said to this person. The 'dead' also meant those lost in their sins and will never come to believing in the gospel of salvation anytime soon or ever. So he was also stating let the 'lost' or dead literally die together, bury each other with a closed-mind to the gospel, and be buried together without knowing this gospel.

Off topic although related, I wish more folks can discern other expressions and idioms in the bible such as this one used here. It seems they ae very selective in what they want to believe is literal or figurative in meaning.

 

[amadeus]

Luke 9:


Wasn't Jesus a bit harsh?

No, according to Smith's Bible Commentary:


Likewise, Barclay's Daily Study Bible:


Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible expressed a similar sentiment. This interpretation of Luke 9:60 is consistent with Moses' commanded in Exodus 20:


The man [M1] dishonored his father.

"Let the dead bury the dead"
Who are they, these dead?

Ge 2:17

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Ge 3:6

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

And so disobeying God they died and offspring of the dead are also dead... and all were born then dead to God until Jesus was sent offering Life:

Joh 10:10

...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

So then "Let the dead bury the dead". That let those who choose the way of death which is already where they bury those in need of burying. Let those who choose Life:

Mt 8:22

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

Joh 14:4	And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5	Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6	Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

Luke 9 as such, is about that Such a people are not worthy of God in fact.
What they do is not worthy of God, so pay no mind to such truly that they do, because it's not worthy of God in fact.

Jesus is all about the Living ? He came so that you would have life in abundance in fact ! now a carnal person would think that meant wealth and money ! but Jesus did not come to make people rich fat cats, it was such as that who wanted him killed in fact ! for their god's are all about ones own wealth Greed and power over others in fact, that's who or what they only truly aspire to in fact !
Now the Devil himself tried to temp Jesus with giving him power over everything in this world in fact, but Jesus rejected his offer in fact ! why because it had nothing to do with God at all in fact !

Fact is if one does not posses the Holy Spirit one is poor of Spirit and a curse in fact and a blight on all in fact ! for such is not worthy of God !
That's why the story of a rich man is pointing out that such a one is not in tune with God, but is as Jesus pointed out a Slave to this world that is full of delusions and deceptions in fact ! People idolise them self in fact and say look at me ! i am rich look at my wealth, this proves that i am better than you ? and the carnal nitwit agrees that such a person is worthy ? worthy of what ? This world ! but is he Worthy of God ?
Does such a one lead others astray ?
So it's not about having great wealth, for if that's all you have, such a one is very poor regards God. I have seen this many a time that such a one no one likes them at all, family children and all hate such a one in fact. so they have nothing but their money. how sad. they are like a drug dealer who only creates living in a trapped hellfire as such a one is only fanning such flames in fact.
I had a mate who was involved in selling drugs, he demanded to me, that he was helping them ! that's how delusional he was, but he has woken up to that now ! and clearly totally ashamed of doing such. He was from a good christian family Church every week. but he was not truly born again. that's why he was tempted !

 

[O'Darby]

Those sorts of speculative interpretations seem to me to water-down the incident and rob it of its force. Jesus often spoke in harsh terms to emphasize the level of commitment being a follower requires. For example, Matthew 10:34-36. The speculative interpretations seem intended to avoid Jesus seeming harsh - why would we want to avoid that? There is no reason to suppose the man was saying anything other than "Give me a little time to go home and bury my dead father." The verses are about the distinction between the spiritually dead and the spiritually alive. Jesus was simply saying (IMO), "Come follow the path of eternal life and leave behind those who are spiritually dead and physically dead."

If the man wasn't really saying "Give me a little time to go home and bury my dead father," then the very next verses, Luke 9:61-62, are redundant:

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

​

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

 

[Jack]

Those who don't know God are alive physically but dead.

 

[TonyChanYT]

Those sorts of speculative interpretations seem to me to water-down the incident and rob it of its force.

Let proposition P1 = Jesus wanted M1 to bury his physically dead father.

True?

 

[O'Darby]

Let proposition P1 = Jesus wanted M1 to bury his physically dead father.

True?

In my opinion, no. In my opinion, "no" is the whole point of "Let the dead bury their own dead" - i.e., you, M1, are no longer one of the dead if you choose to follow Me.

 

[TonyChanYT]

In my opinion, no. In my opinion, "no" is the whole point of "Let the dead bury their own dead" - i.e., you, M1, are no longer one of the dead if you choose to follow Me.

Let proposition P1 = Jesus wanted M1 to bury his father, who had just died (physical death).
P2 = Jesus did not want M1 to bury his father, who had just died (physical death).

Between 0 and 10, how much weight do you put on each of the above propositions? The stronger your belief in a proposition, the higher the weight.

 

[O'Darby]

Let proposition P1 = Jesus wanted M1 to bury his father, who had just died (physical death).
P2 = Jesus did not want M1 to bury his father, who had just died (physical death).

Between 0 and 10, how much weight do you put on each of the above propositions? The stronger your belief in a proposition, the higher the weight.

I don't believe it's a matter of Jesus "wanting" or "not wanting" M1 to bury his father. Jesus is saying (IMO), "Following Me is a total commitment. Burying your father is part of the life you are leaving behind." This, IMO, dovetails exactly with what Jesus says in verses 61-62.

 

[TonyChanYT]

"Following Me is a total commitment.

Right.

Burying your father is part of the life you are leaving behind."

M1's father had just physically died but Jesus did not want him to take some time to bury his dead father.
True?

 

[O'Darby]

Right.


M1's father had just physically died but Jesus did not want him to take some time to bury his dead father.
True?

Last one: If you want to phrase it this way, yes. But I don't believe it's a matter of Jesus not wanting M1 to take time to bury his father. Jesus recognized that M1 needed to make a commitment now and that this was in M1's eternal best interest. Pethaps Jesus knew that if M1 went to bury his father Jesus would never see him again. Now was the time of decision and commitment. But I also think the key point is the distinction between "spiritual death" and "spiritual life."

 

[TonyChanYT]

Last one: If you want to phrase it this way, yes.

Is your father alive?

 

[DJT_47]

Jesus was blunt and to the point. He also said the below as recorded in Mat 10

"34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For 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. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37He 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."

And, the dead he was referring to was the unbelieving, spiritually dead, who should bury the actual dead.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

Jesus was blunt and to the point. He also said the below as recorded in Mat 10

"34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For 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. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37He 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."

And, the dead he was referring to was the unbelieving, spiritually dead, who should bury the actual dead.

The pillar of salt comes to mind. do not turn back to that intent of devoid love ? look forward, for that was only death to the Soul ? a whitewashed tomb, full of dead mans bones ? A kike ? only of Corruption seed !