Matthew 8:22

[StrawberryJam]

Why would Jesus say this, and the catholic church considers it a christian right to a proper burial? Did Jesus care about how a person was buried? If not, why does the catholic church?

I am sure there is a good answer to this I am just not seeing.

 

[donsnow]

Why would Jesus say this, and the catholic church considers it a christian right to a proper burial? Did Jesus care about how a person was buried? If not, why does the catholic church?

I am sure there is a good answer to this I am just not seeing.

Hi, StrawberryJam -

Well, I went to each of my parents’ funerals. So, I’m guilty of whatever Jesus meant.

I’m familiar with a Jewish tradition of important burial rites and that burial is important, so the dead can rest. So, in that context, maybe he meant that when we are called by God then let others do the funeral and burying, we are to drop what we’re doing and go follow God.

That’s my best answer. I will accept correction from others deeper into the scripture than I am.

Don

 

[StrawberryJam]

Hi, StrawberryJam -

Well, I went to each of my parents’ funerals. So, I’m guilty of whatever Jesus meant.

I’m familiar with a Jewish tradition of important burial rites and that burial is important, so the dead can rest. So, in that context, maybe he meant that when we are called by God then let others do the funeral and burying, we are to drop what we’re doing and go follow God.

That’s my best answer. I will accept correction from others deeper into the scripture than I am.

Don

Yes, I know the Jews were very very particular about burial. Even touching a dead person.

But, what on earth was Jesus saying if he knew then that the catholic church would make the right of Christian burial so very important, and how it is done?

What do you mean by called by God? Some use that term when a person dies. Do you mean that as a point of conversion?

I am not on the ball today, sorry.
Edit,

Sorry to hear about your parents. Forgive me for overlooking that in my reply.

 

[spockrates]

Good question. Jesus often said things that were shocking and that got people’s attention. Just read some of the things he said about the respected religious leaders of His day:

biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23&version=NIV

My guess is that it is possible the man was just making excuses. He probably had plenty of time to go to the funeral and then follow Jesus, but was insisting that he needed to take time off to morn the death of the relative. My thought is that if one needs to morn, isn’t the place to do it at Jesus’ side?

 

[chaunceygardner]

I don’t think Jesus was being real literal here. The “dead” can’t bury the “dead”. But if Jesus spoke to you and you said, “Yes, Rabbi, I will follow you, but first…”, what should His response be to you? Is not following Him more important than ANYTHING else on earth?

Jesus could also be using a double meaning, referring to the spiritually dead who do not respond to His call. Let them bury the dead since they themselves are also dead, dead to God

So I think Jesus is putting what it means to be His disciple into perspective here, and to emphasize where your priorities should be. It is not a teaching about how we should treat our deceased family members.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Great ways to see this.

Maybe he was sitting on the fence… I would, I could, but I can’t right now.

Jesus is telling him, you can right now.

He is telling that to me right now.

I am that man.

 

[PAboy57]

Then there is no time like right now to listen to Him!!!

 

[patrick457]

Why would Jesus say this, and the catholic church considers it a christian right to a proper burial? Did Jesus care about how a person was buried? If not, why does the catholic church?

I am sure there is a good answer to this I am just not seeing.

And another of His disciples said to him, “Lord, permit me first to go and to bury my father.” and Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

There are a few ways in which this passage is interpreted:

1.) It was a reference to the custom popular around Jesus’ time of reinterring the bones a year after the initial burial (where the body is laid on a sort of bench or niche inside the tomb), once the flesh had rotted away, into a box known as an ossuary - a practice known as ‘secondary burial’. The one who is supposed to collect the bones is usually the closest relative; in this case, the son would have been expected to perform this ritual to his father. In this idea, Jesus was rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. Note that in Jewish culture, failing to bury a dead person would have been very shameful, as it dishonors the dead.
2.) The expression is some sort of proverbial idiom. In this idea, Jesus is effectively saying, “The matter in question is not the real issue.”
3.) Jesus’ words are a reference to various kinds of people. In this idea, Jesus is saying, “Let the (spiritually) dead bury the (physically) dead.”
4.) Jesus meant the whole thing in a literal sort of way. In this idea, His words are designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast (as mentioned, we humans do not expect ‘dead’ people to bury the ‘dead’).

However, whichever option you may take, at the end the point of the statement is the same: “follow me right now.” Rather than directly talking about burial customs or something of the sort, the point of Jesus’ words were such.

 

[po18guy]

Luke explains this teaching of Jesus more fully:

Luke 9:57-62 (New International Version)

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man 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.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”

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

Jesus knew their hearts. He was teaching the new covenant - the cost of discipleship. He cautioned them not to look back, out of whatever misplaced sentiment, to the old covenant or to their prior lives. Notice that he called the son of the dead man using the same words with which He called the Apostles. Contrast the response to Jesus’ call (the son of the dead man told Jesus to wait, revealing that man’s hesitant heart), with that of Matthew, who left his tax office immediately and followed Jesus.

 

[donsnow]

Yes, I know the Jews were very very particular about burial. Even touching a dead person.

But, what on earth was Jesus saying if he knew then that the catholic church would make the right of Christian burial so very important, and how it is done?

What do you mean by called by God? Some use that term when a person dies. Do you mean that as a point of conversion?

I am not on the ball today, sorry.
Edit,

Sorry to hear about your parents. Forgive me for overlooking that in my reply.

Good morning, StrawberryJam -

That’s OK about my parents; mother passed in '97 and father in '98, five months later.
They were married over 50 years.

When I wrote ‘called by God’ I meant either to convert, or called to serve God after conversion.
I didn’t remember that that phrase also meant having died, been so long since I heard it that way. Sincere apologies.

Don

 

[EnterCanaan]

Matthew 8:21-23 (King James Version)
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

Hi, Jesus spoke only in parables. So this is infact, a parable.

A parable is a earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is “let the dead bury the dead” the heavenly meaning always points to Christ. In this case, Christ, who is the LIFE is actually present and walking umong them. God HIMSELF, is alive and walking in the flesh during this time.

This means that Jesus is the life and light, Jesus is spiritual salvation, and during the years He ministered, His presence was as close to spiritual life as a dead person would ever see.

The dead in question is speaking of the SPIRITUAL DEAD. Not speaking about a dead corpse in the literal sense, but a dead corpse in the spiritual sense, as every human being is a walkng dead spriitual corpse because of original sin.

Jesus says, let the dead, that is the spiritual dead, bury themselves, let the spiritualy dead, bury the spiritually dead, but you, you follow me into eternal life.

The same principal can be seen in the story of Soddom and Gamorah. God said to flee and not look back. And Lots wife looked back and turned to a pillar of salt.

the pillar of salt is a picture of Gods wrath and judgment. Lots wife incurred the judgment beause she was never saved to begin with, she was spiritually dead, and she loved Soddam more than God, which is why she looked back, meanwhile Lot loved the Lord more than his home, which was Soddom, more than his life, more than the earth, more than his garden and friends and land, Lot obeyed the LOrd and fled and did not look back, but looked forward to spiritual life.

Christ is saying, follow me into spiritual life, and let the spiritually dead follow the dead.

 

[Nita]

Why would Jesus say this, and the catholic church considers it a christian right to a proper burial? Did Jesus care about how a person was buried? If not, why does the catholic church?

I am sure there is a good answer to this I am just not seeing.

“Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father”.
In addition to the other answers, I have also heard that the young man’s words do not necessarily mean that his father was already dead. Thus, he would be saying that as long as his father was alive, he wanted to stay and help/be with him. After he died, then the young man would leave home and follow Jesus.

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

Biblically it was a sin to not give someone a proper burial. Not all people deserve a Christian burial however, traditionally Jews and Catholics do not give certain people “formal burial”. For example we do not give heretics Christian burials, but just give them burials.

 

[po18guy]

Hi, Jesus spoke only in parables.

Really? So, when Jesus spoke to Thomas in the upper room (John 20:19-29), he was not speaking literally? Why then, did He command Thomas to probe His wounds, and why did Thomas respond? Clearly not a parable, although much of what he taught was in parable form. To believe that everything He said was a parable will mislead you.

 

[EnterCanaan]

Really? So, when Jesus spoke to Thomas in the upper room (John 20:19-29), he was not speaking literally? Why then, did He command Thomas to probe His wounds, and why did Thomas respond? Clearly not a parable, although much of what he taught was in parable form. To believe that everything He said was a parable will mislead you.

The WORD is spoken in parables.

Ps 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old.
Matt 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and **without a parable He did not speak **to them,
Matt 13:35 that is might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
Mark 5:33 And **with many such parables He spoke the word **to them as they were able to hear it.
Mark 5:34 But **without a parable He did not speak **to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Luke 12:41 Then Peter said to Him, "Lord do you speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"
LUKE 12:42 Look at the response Jesus givesJESUS ANSWERS IN A PARABLE

The Word became flesh
John 1:14 (King James Version)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word in scripture is the same word that became flesh

And the word was spoken in parables.

A parable is AN EARTHLY STORY WITH A SPIRITUAL MEANING.

Every single sentence, translated into our language so we can understand the words, is earthly. The bible is earthly, the punctuation, the letters, the words, the nouns, the adjectives, the verbs, paragraphs, the pages, the books, the characters, Noah, Moses, Jesus Himself, Adam, Peter, Paul, Barnabus, the Corinthians, that is all earthly.

But what is the teaching, the teaching is SPIRITUAL.

So a parable is an earthly story, meaning the words you read are real, they happened, they are from the mouth of God.

And God is teaching a spiritual lesson. An eternal lesson, by using this earth, which we as humans live on, God is teaching us spritual truth by way of earthly language.

Its called a parable.

And the word is spoken in parables.

and Jesus is the word made flesh John 1:14

So to set the record straight, it would be a folly to not recognize that every single recoreded sentence in the bible is a parable. As every single sentence is from the mouth of God, which is called His Word, which is spoken in parables.

To not listen to this when it comes from the bible is called not trusting in the Word of God, which is the bible.

2Tim 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So if your doctrine contradicts a bible doctrine, the child of God who trusts in God, will allow himself to be corrected for instruction in righteousness. Meaning, you let the bible correct you if if contradicts what you hold as doctrine.

in this case, the teaching that Jesus only spoke parables in the four gospels is false.

Because Jesus is eternal God. and God is the word, and the word made flesh is Jesus, and so everysingle page of the bible is considered the word of God, which was spoken by God in parables. meaning earthly language and words for our earthly ears, teaching a spiritual meaning.

and the word was spoken in parables!!!
God bless

 

[po18guy]

The WORD is spoken in parables.
and the word was spoken in parables!!!
God bless

Please answer the scripture provided you. Was that a parable? Jesus spoke parables to the crowds, but to the Apostles was granted the hidden meaning. This is a huge difference.

To take Jesus’ every word as a parable is to fall prey to heresy.

 

[StCsDavid]

Why would Jesus say this, and the catholic church considers it a christian right to a proper burial? Did Jesus care about how a person was buried? If not, why does the catholic church?

I am sure there is a good answer to this I am just not seeing.

I’ll let St. John Chrysostom answer this one:

This saying does not condemn natural affection to our parents, but shews that nothing ought to be more binding on us than the business of heaven; that to this we ought to apply ourselves with all our endeavours, and not to be slack, however necessary or urgent are the things that draw us aside. For what could be more necessary than to bury a father? What more easy? For it could not need much time. But in this the Lord rescued him from much evil, weeping, and mourning, and from the pains of expectation. For after the funeral there must come examination of the will, division of the inheritance, and other things of the same sort; and thus trouble following trouble, like the waves, would have borne him far from the port of truth. But if you are not yet satisfied, reflect further that oftentimes the weak are not permitted to know the time, or to follow to the grave; even though the dead be father, mother, or son; yet are they not charged with cruelty that hinder them; it is rather the reverse of cruelty. And it is a much greater evil to draw one away from spiritual discourse; especially when there were who should perform the rites; as here, “Leave the dead to bury their dead.”

 

[po18guy]

The WORD is spoken in parables.

First, the Word is not some thing - It is Someone: Jesus Christ.

So, if Christ spoke everything in parables, did He explain His parables to the Apostles using other parables? No! He told the Apostles plainly. So, it is parables for the crowds (you and I) and plain Aramaic for the Apostles. Why?

Mark 4:11 He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables

Luke 8:10 He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, " ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

To the vast majority of Christians, this says that the Apostles were granted special knowledge and insights to Divine truth. And the rest of us would neither understand nor be converted, except through the teaching of the Apostles (Matthew 28:19-20).

So to set the record straight, it would be a folly to not recognize that every single recoreded sentence in the bible is a parable. As every single sentence is from the mouth of God, which is called His Word, which is spoken in parables.

So then, without the knowledge of the Apostles, the bible by itself is nearly meaningless, since parables are designed to be misunderstood. Remember the Ethiopian eunuch? He could not understand scripture until an Apostle explained it to him (Acts 8:31). This is how Christ’s Church operates.

To not listen to this when it comes from the bible is called not trusting in the Word of God, which is the bible.

Have you forgotten that the Word is Jesus Christ? Very little of what He taught is in the bible. The bible is incomplete and tells you so: Luke 3:!8, John 20:30, John21:25, Acts 2:40, 1 Corinthians 11:34 and others. So, complete revelation is found beyond the bible. Bless you if you are satisfied with incomplete revelation!

2Tim 3:14-17

Notice that it does not say that scripture is ALL. Jesus sent Apostles forth with teaching, not with bibles. The bible has a bit of their teaching. Shouldn’t a Christian who loves Christ desire all of revelation, not just part of it?

So if your doctrine contradicts a bible doctrine, the child of God who trusts in God, will allow himself to be corrected for instruction in righteousness. Meaning, you let the bible correct you if if contradicts what you hold as doctrine.

There is not one Catholic doctrine that contradicts anything in scripture. If it seems to, you do not understand it. You have fallen prey to the spirit of private interpretation. I remind you of what the Holy Bible says about private interpretation: 2 Peter 1:20 (King James Version) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Peter is an Apostle. He knows whereof he speaks. Jesus told him in plain language.

Because Jesus is eternal God. and God is the word, and the word made flesh is Jesus, and so everysingle page of the bible is considered the word of God, which was spoken by God in parables. meaning earthly language and words for our earthly ears, teaching a spiritual meaning.

Since parables are meant to be misunderstood, who then has the authority to teach their meaning? Hint: The Apostles and their handpicked successors. This is not you or I or just anyone who happens to have a bible.