Let the Dead Bury the dead: Matt 8:22 & Luke 9:59

[LouisianaMan]

I'd like to see comments about two Scripture references, namely Matthew 8:22 & Luke 9:59, where Jesus says in order to follow Him to let the dead bury the dead or let the dead bury their dead. I've never heard anyone go in depth to the meaning of this especially as it may have related to dealing with the dead from the standpoint of the Mosaic Law. Any comments or insight will be well received. God Bless!

[Joe]

I usually go with Matthew Henry for a general commentary on the Bible, while having a skeptical CI perspective.

On the Mosaic Law Henry states

Burying the dead, and especially a dead father, is a good work, but it is not thy work at this time: it may be done as well by others, that are not called and qualified, as thou art, to be employed for Christ; thou hast something else to do, and must not defer that.” Note, Piety to God must be preferred before piety to parents, though that is a great and needful part of our religion. The Nazarites, under the law, were not to mourn for their own parents, because they were holy to the Lord (Num_6:6-8); nor was the high priest to defile himself for the dead, no, not for his own father, Lev_21:11, Lev_21:12. And Christ requires of those who would follow him, that they hate father and mother (Luk_14:26); love them less than God; we must comparatively neglect and disesteem our nearest relations, when they come in competition with Christ, and either our doing for him, or our suffering for him.

On Luke 9

2. Christ's answer to it (Luk_9:60): “Let the dead bury their dead. Suppose (which is not likely) that there are none but the dead to bury their dead, or none but those who are themselves aged and dying, who are as good as dead, and fit for no other service, yet thou hast other work to do; go thou, and preach the kingdom of God.”

[wmfinck]

The notes to my Matthew series are not nearly as developed as I would like them to be. Neither is Mark. The Luke notes may be a little better. If I were presenting Matthew today in the same detail which I am trying to present Paul, the series would certainly be twice as long, IMHO. But Paul needs the attention because he is so badly translated and so easily misunderstood.

Anyway, here is what I had said presenting this verse in Matthew:

22 But Yahshua says to him “Follow Me and allow the dead to bury the dead for themselves!”

This is an example, that those of us who desire to follow Christ, really have no part with those of us who do not. Furthermore, those of us who do not wish to follow Him, may as well be dead. Without Him there is no life for any of us, so we should all desire to follow Him!

I may have been a little more verbose if I were writing this now. Those of us who do not wish to follow Christ are living for this world only, and that is why they are "the dead". Paul addressed that same attitude in Romans 8: "12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

12 So then, brethren, we are obligated not to the flesh, to live in accordance with the flesh; 13 for if in accordance with the flesh you live, you are about to die; [suffering the consequences of the sin that accompanies following the flesh] but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body [D has “flesh”], you will live. 14 Indeed as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahweh, these are sons of Yahweh.

However the Gospel message was not intended to make Israelites out of non-Israelites, and that universalist idea is in contention with the greater part of Scripture, which the universalists then pervert by either ignoring the context or denying the plain meanings of words. From John chapter 3: “7 You should not wonder that I said to you that it is necessary for you to be born from above. 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know from where it comes and where it goes. Thusly are all who are born from of the Spirit.” A man born from of the Spirit has the Spirit of Yahweh in him, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that “if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual”, and there is no interceding baptism ritual necessary to serve as a prerequisite to having that spiritual body to which he refers. The apostle John had warned in his first epistle, to try every spirit which we encounter, because there are spirits born of God, and there are spirits born of the world which are contrary to God. Only the Adamic race is recorded in Scripture as having a spirit from God, and those born of the world are not of Adam or of Yahweh God.

The law of Yahweh being spiritual, those led by the Spirit of Yahweh should seek to keep the law. Following the law, an Adamic man demonstrates that he is of Yahweh. However a non-Adamic man cannot demonstrate that he is of Yahweh by pretending to the law since the law is not for him. It must also be understood that disobedience alone does not mean that one is not of Yahweh, since there are other reasons for disobedience. From Zechariah chapter 7, where the Word of Yahweh speaks of Israel: “12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.” So it must be kept in mind that we demonstrate obedience and love for God by striving to keep His law, yet our justification is not of the law. As we have seen Paul explain in Romans chapter 5, justification is a promise to the entire race of Adam apart from the law.

Hope this helps...