Question: Let the dead bury their own dead?

[21] Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” [22] And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
(Matthew 8:21-22 ESV)

To the disciple who asked to first bury his father before following Jesus, Jesus proclaims to the disciple to follow him and to let the dead bury their own dead.

What could be the meaning of Jesus’ words? Obviously, the physical dead cannot bury the deceased.

What does it mean to be dead? What does it mean to be alive?

Leave comments below!:)

O you of little faith

When I was a child in Sunday school, I’ve always recognized the twelve disciples as believers who were men of strong faith. And the only logical reason for young a mind to think this way was because the disciples practically lived, ate, and worked together – they had to have great faith! Right?

Well that was then and the Bible shows otherwise…

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:5-12

After the miracle of the loaves, Jesus warns the disciples to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Perplexed and confused, the disciples discuss among themselves about what Jesus might have meant by this. Contemplating Jesus’ words physically, the disciples were not able to understand the spiritual meaning of being “on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees.”

And Jesus replies to those, who failed to understand that yeast meant the teachings of the Pharisees and Saducees, “you of little faith.”

So, what is the point here? Of course, it is not to make a “I-told-you” statement that the disciples were not always believers of strong faith.

However, from these verses, believers of good and strong faith, to God and Jesus, are those who understand the meaning of God’s words. So, I pray that we may have a humbled heart to have an understanding of God’s word to be recognized as God’s faithful servants!

Are we blind too?

[39] Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” [40] Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” [41] Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
(John 9:39-41 ESV)

After Jesus heals the blind man, Jesus declares that he had come to this world to judge between the blind and those who see. Hearing these words, the Pharisees, high priests at this time, question themselves whether they were blind.

Obviously, Pharisees were not physically blind. And if they were, they wouldn’t be asking the question “Are we also blind?” to themselves. Through Scripture, we realize these people were the spiritual blind who hardened their hearts from the word of God that Jesus had testified.

[16] “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
(Matthew 23:16 ESV)

Jesus testifies against the Pharisees calling them blind guides.

Weren’t these scribes and Pharisees believers of God? They even read and memorized the Old Testament but why does Jesus call them spiritually blind? What does it mean for them to be spiritually blind?

Just like we saw in our previous post, Isaiah 6 prophesied about those who were blind, had dull ears, and calloused hearts. In the New Testament, we see that this prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 13. When Jesus speaks about the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, these people like the Pharisees and Sadducee did not turn their hearts to the words that Jesus was testifying therefore these people remained spiritually blind – not able to receive truth. Not only that those who followed these high priests were spiritual blind believers, for Jesus states…

[14] Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
(Matthew 15:14 ESV)

Therefore, Jesus again states about these Pharisees…

[13] “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
(Matthew 23:13 ESV)

However, during this time, those who sought, humbled, and turned their hearts to Jesus’ words of truth, they were healed of their sight. Jesus says to his disciples…

[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
(Matthew 13:16 ESV)

Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducee full of pride, I pray that we may turn to God’s word with an opened heart so that we may be healed of our spiritual blindness like Jesus’ disciples!

Turn and be healed

[8] And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” [9] And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
[10] Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
(Isaiah 6:8-10 ESV)

In this prophecy, God calls out to the prophet Isaiah and sends him to the people of Israel whose hearts are dull, ears heavy, and eyes blind from hearing and understanding the word of God.

And though this word is spoken to the prophet Isaiah, we understand that this word was a prophecy that was fulfilled through Jesus in the first coming. Isaiah was representing Jesus and the physical Israelites who did not receive and believe Jesus were the ones whose hearts dull, ears heavy, and eyes blind from the God’s word.

[11] And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
[15] For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
(Matthew 13:11-16 ESV)

To those who did not accept Jesus (John 1), in their case, this prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled. When Jesus spoke about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (the word of God) in parables, these people were the ones who were not able to receive God’s word due to their calloused hearts therefore Jesus testifies that their ears were heavy and eyes were blind from God’s word. However, unlike these type of believers, the Jesus’ disciples sought after Jesus, asked and understood the meaning of the parable (Mark 4).

I pray that we may all be like the disciples with an open heart that diligently seek, turn from our calloused hearts and be healed of our spiritual blindness of God’s word!

Hearts close to God

Jesus always spoke from God’s word. Meaning, he testified the words of prophecies recorded in the Old Testament that was fulfilled in the first coming.

In our previous posts, we wrote many about the prophecy and fulfillment regarding Jesus. Just like that, Jesus spoke of the prophecies in reference to Satan’s pastors, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well.

[6] he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. [7] You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
[8] “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
[9] in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
(Matthew 15:6-9 ESV)

In the previous verses of Matthew 15, it talks about how the Pharisees are arguing with Jesus of why his disciples don’t wash their hands before they ate. These teachers of the law were judging the disciples not based on God’s word but according to their own traditions (their own interpretation of the Word). In reply, Jesus testifies against these false prophets that they were breaking the command of God for the sake of their own traditions and state that they had become the reality (prophecy fulfillment) of what the prophet Isaiah spoke of.

[13] And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
[14] therefore, behold, I will again
do wonderful things with this people,
with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
(Isaiah 29:13-14 ESV)

From this, let us encourage each other to not live our faith like these Pharisees who followed their own way and traditions but live according to God’s word so that we may stand righteous and our hearts close to God!

Shepherd Struck and Sheep Scattered

If I were someone reading Zechariah 13:7 thousands of years ago…

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the LORD of hosts.
“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
I will turn my hand against the little ones.
(Zechariah 13:7 ESV)

…I’d be thinking WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! By just looking at this prophecy alone I would have never understood the true meaning of this until…

…this prophecy is fulfilled and becomes a reality.

Wait a minute. Let’s gather our thoughts here. Does that mean that there will be an actual sword that would be awaken from its sleep to strike a shepherd causing all the sheep to be scattered??? Uh…wha…what? Perplexed?

It can’t possibly be talking about an actual shepherd and sheep. Right??? Here, instead of presenting my case…let’s let the Bible do the talking!

On the night of the Passover…

[30] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. [31] Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ [32] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” [33] Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” [34] Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” [35] Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
(Matthew 26:30-35 ESV)

Think about it. All of the disciples are enjoying a nice Passover meal with Jesus, eating warm bread and drinking delicate wine. And after the making of the new covenant and singing a hymn, Jesus, all of a sudden, declares to the twelve “You will all fall away.” Ouch, a little harsh isn’t it? Jesus directly explains “For it is written” and cites Zechariah 13:7 implying that in order for Scripture to be fulfilled, the disciples will fall away and deny Jesus. Peter, emotional as he was known to be, asserts that he will never deny Jesus even if he had to die. But in the end, before that rooster cried, Peter denies Jesus three times. The Scriptures had to be fulfilled.

Through the prophecy fulfillment, we can easily detect and understand the true meaning of Scripture. God was not trying to express to us through his prophets about literal shepherds and sheep but about the crucifixion of Jesus and the disciples’ denial.

Thankfully and graciously enough, I am not that guy reading Zechariah 13:7 thousands of years before. And since this word came to fulfillment and became a reality, I, the guy living in the present age of 2012, am able to understand what this is actually talking about. I am sure all of you are thankful as well, right?

Ask questions, leave a comment, and share your thoughts! And also keep checking back with us for DAILY posts about more eye opening observations of the Bible!