Laying Aside All Excuses!
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the main replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (59 – 60)
At face value, the request seems more than reasonable. Burial was a sacred duty among Jews during this time. Burial must take place on the day of the death. In all likelihood, the father had not yet died. If this man waited for his father to die, he would miss the opportunity to accompany Jesus. The response of Jesus shows that He expects a radical transfer of loyalties. For this individual, providing a suitable funeral for one’s father is a religious, family and social obligation. The “dead” are to perform the burial. In those words, let the spiritually dead bury the physical dead. The spiritual dead would not be following Jesus and they would be at home and could fulfill the task.
Discipleship requires laying aside religious obligations. Discipleship requires laying aside family obligations. Discipleship requires laying aside social obligations
Basil the Great wrote… “Disciples must learn that the divine takes precedence over the human and that human obligation cannot stand in the way of Christian discipleship.”
Even the very best of excuses must not get in the way of true discipleship.
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