Let the dead bury their own dead: An Exegesis.
I will try, hard as I can, to explain this concept to the best of my understanding while acknowledging that, though knowledge of the things of God is universal, understanding is very much personal and thus subject to various interpretations. Consequently, conflict of views is inevitable.
The Backstory:
In Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60, where the statement “Let the dead bury their own dead” is made, Christ had just finished healing a swath of people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, and was heading to an undisclosed location to continue His messianic ministry when He encountered a man and urged him to follow Him, as in, become His disciple. The man didn’t protest; instead, he pleaded with Christ to allow him to go and bury his dead father. To this, Christ responded: “Let the dead bury their own dead…”
Jewish Perspective on Burial:
You must understand that in ancient Jewish traditions, as is still perceptible in modern Jewish culture, the burial of a family member, especially a patriarch, was of profound significance. This responsibility usually fell on the eldest son. Thus, we can infer that the man in question was the eldest son of his father and only desired to honor him. Failure to bury his father would bring shame and dishonor upon his family. It would be seen as neglecting his filial duty and could result in social ostracism.
Therefore, we can also infer that the man only wanted to avoid the great shame that would be heaped upon his family as a result of him shirking his responsibilities as the eldest son, thus the reason why he pleaded with Christ to allow him to perform the final rites of passage for his father.
The Meaning of Christ’s Statement:
“Let the dead bury their own dead” can be viewed from many perspectives, but for the purpose of easy understanding, it will be viewed from a biblical perspective.
“The dead” here means those who are spiritually dead, that is, those who do not have Christ in them.
Consider the following Bible verses which buttress Christ’s point on being spiritually alive or dead:
• 1 John 5:12: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
• John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
• John 11:25–26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”
In the above passages, it is clear that Christ considers those who are in Him, that is, those who believe in Him, to be spiritually alive while He considers those who are not to be dead — spiritually dead. Furthermore, understand that the contextual meaning of ‘dead’ in Christ’s encounter with the man differs on two fronts. The first ‘dead’ means those who are spiritually dead, while the second ‘dead’ means those who are actually dead.
What both ultimately suggest is that both the spiritually dead and the physically dead are one and the same because they do not have Christ in them. That is, Christ sees no difference to distinguish them because both are, in effect, dead. While the physical one is dead and thus cannot repent of his ‘sins’, the spiritually dead is following the path of the physically dead and, in no time, will meet the same fate as the physically dead — dead with no hope of salvation.
On the broader meaning of His statement, it suggests the primacy and superiority of kingdom endeavors over traditional and social responsibilities. Remember, Christ in His sermons emphasized total commitment to God’s work, complete detachment from the world (i.e., sin), and the prioritization of kingdom endeavors and how these commitments supersede everything the believer holds dear, including his life and family.
Consider the following scriptures:
• Luke 14:33: “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
• 1 John 2:15: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
• Luke 14:26: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even their own life — such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Thus, in uttering the statement “let the dead bury their own dead,” Christ was only reminding the man of the ‘unimportance’ of that endeavor. Instead, the man was to prioritize the establishment of God’s kingdom — which is a far higher calling — by taking up the taxing, important, and profound responsibility of becoming a disciple of Christ.
TL;DR:
“Let the dead bury their own dead” means prioritizing spiritual or important life commitments over conventional or societal obligations. It suggests focusing on what truly matters — such as following a higher purpose or calling — rather than being bogged down by traditional duties that, in the grand scheme, might be less significant. In essence, it calls for a redefinition of priorities, urging us to concentrate on the living, dynamic aspects of our spiritual journey and personal growth, rather than on customs and responsibilities tied to those who are not engaged in the same spiritual pursuit. Ultimately, this directive calls for a reorientation of priorities and values, which can lead to significant personal transformation and development.
