Jesus gave this reply to a disciple who asked permission to go and bury his father: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22). Burying the dead is a sacred duty. Therefore, at first sight, Jesus’ words may appear harsh and devoid of human consideration. However, when the context and deeper meaning of the saying are understood, it becomes clear that this is a profoundly powerful statement that reveals the greatness of discipleship and its urgency.
Honouring one’s parents is the fourth commandment. In Jewish life, burying one’s parents was an important expression of this commandment. The arrangements made by Joseph for the burial of Jacob (Genesis 47:27-30; 50:5), as well as Tobiah’s understanding of the importance of burying the dead in obedience to the counsel of his father Tobit (Tobit 4:3-4), provide evidence of this. Moreover, even priests and Nazirites, who were ordinarily required to refrain from contact with the dead because such contact rendered them ritually impure, had certain responsibilities concerning burial rites in particular circumstances when close relatives died (Leviticus 21:11; Numbers 6:6-7). Therefore, when viewed against this background, Jesus’ words, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” appear even more profound.
However, the central theme of Matthew 8:18-22 is the cost of discipleship and its urgent character. Following Jesus is not a decision that can be postponed and taken up later according to convenience; it is a decision of faith that calls for an immediate response to the call of the Kingdom of God. Here, another fact concerning Jewish burial practices should also be noted. Among the Jews of the first century, there was a practice of collecting the bones approximately one year after a person had been buried in a tomb, placing them in an ossuary, and burying them again. Therefore, the disciple’s words, “First let me go and bury my father,” do not necessarily mean that his father had already died and was awaiting immediate burial. They could also indicate a long and indefinite delay such as waiting until his father’s death or until the completion of the funeral rites. This is why Jesus places such strong emphasis on the urgency of discipleship in his response.
Special attention must also be given to the expression “the dead” in this passage. The Greek word nekros generally refers to a physically dead person or a dead body. However, in biblical language, the word is also used figuratively to refer to those who are separated from God and from divine life. For example, Scripture often presents the state of being spiritually separated from God through the symbolism of “death.”
Therefore, the deeper meaning of Jesus’ words, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” may be understood in this way: let those who are spiritually “dead” because they have not responded to the call of the Kingdom of God bury those who are physically dead; but you, who have heard the call of the Kingdom of God, follow me now. Here Jesus does not reject the sacredness of burying one’s father. Rather, he places before the disciple a higher priority: a complete and immediate response to the call of the Kingdom of God.
In the Gospel of Matthew itself, Jesus makes clear the priority that must be given to one’s relationship with Christ over family relationships: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Likewise, Jesus says, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). Jesus is not teaching that family relationships are unimportant; rather, he teaches about the supreme priority that must be given to God above all relationships and responsibilities.
Therefore, this passage is not a rejection of family duties; rather, it is a powerful call not to postpone God’s call indefinitely for any reason. Burying one’s father is indeed a sacred duty. Yet, at the moment one receives Christ’s call, responding to that call becomes the highest responsibility. The call of the Kingdom of God is not something to be postponed by saying, “Later”; it is a call to be accepted now. A beautiful echo of this truth can be found in the thought of St Augustine: “The one who gave birth to us must be loved; but priority must be given to the Creator.” Even while loving human relationships and fulfilling our responsibilities, all these must be ordered in accordance with our relationship with God.
Therefore, Jesus’ words, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” are not the language of cruelty; rather, they are a wake-up call to the fullness of discipleship: to give Christ first place in life, not to delay when the call of the Kingdom of God is heard, and to order all relationships and responsibilities in the light of our relationship with God. This is the heart of the message of this passage. A life of following Christ is not a decision to be postponed until tomorrow; it is a life of faith that says “yes” in the very today in which God calls.
Rev. Dr. Joju Kokkattu
