Right Side Up - Following Christ
But Yeshua said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” '
-Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century
Luke 9:59-60 TLV
[This is the 2nd message of this series]
Jesus of Nazareth
[The Name Jesus in their language is Yeshua, the TLV uses Yeshua in place of Jesus]
Countless people have expounded on this excerpt we read above from the Book of Luke as people who have read or heard of this verse do not understand what it means.
So as Jesus was indeed turning the world upside down, He was also setting things straight.
Heartless?
For many, this statement would appear that Jesus is heartless and do not care for His family. And they might think that this is His nature as He also was recorded to have said:
“My mother and My brothers are these who are hearing the word of God and doing it"
after someone told Him that His mother and brothers were standing outside waiting for Him as He was speaking to a crowd of people. (Luke 8:19-21)
Interpretations
And many have tried to explain these statements by saying that some of His words have two meanings (which is not entirely illogical).
"Dead"
When Jesus said "let the dead bury their own dead", the first mention of the word dead, meant spiritual death while in the second instance it meant physical death. Which is true because the spiritually dead are still walking even though in the inside they are dead (like the walking dead, a zombie). And then a real dead body do need to be laid to rest.
"Mothers, Brothers"
When Jesus said "my mother and My brothers are these who are hearing the word of God and doing it" after someone told Him His mother and brothers were waiting for Him outside, He was referring to them as His "brothers and sisters" in the faith (the family of God) as opposed to His family by blood.
Human Wisdom
Now this is all well and good, and correct interpretations. Although, whenever we study the Words of Jesus, we also need to go deeper and to read them in the proper perspective and the right context. His Words are Spirit and they are Light. His Word is Living and Active. His Word is Alive.
Full Context
When Jesus said, let the dead bury their dead, it was in response to a conversation He was having with someone.
The context of this statement is that He is explaining about the full cost of entering a full time ministry of following Christ. And this is not for everyone. It is for those called by the Spirit of God.
Full Time Ministry
For many, their ministry is where ever they are working at, staying in or studying at (their ministry is their present job, career or the condition they are in and the people they are in contact with).
The Full Story
Luke 9:57-62
One
From this excerpt, the first person was telling Jesus that he will follow Him.
Ordinarily it is Jesus telling someone "come, follow me".
So in response to someone telling Jesus that he will follow Him, Jesus was telling him "are you sure of what you're saying?".
Everyone else have a place to stay, I don't. Are you ready to be homeless? Are you ready to go hungry?
Are you ready to be ghosted, blackballed, blacklisted, excluded, expelled, excommunicated, shunned, snubbed, ousted, imprisoned, slandered, tortured or martyred?
Two
Then to another person, Jesus did say "follow me".
This was the person who responded "first let me go bury my father". Which in reality, he wasn't really implying that his father was already dead (otherwise what is he still doing there).
In that place and time, when someone dies, they don't wait around. They prepare the body promptly for burial and they lay the body to rest, usually the very same day.
To this person when Jesus replied, let the dead bury their dead -- it was like telling him, your father isn't dead, he is probably still a very strong man and still have many years to live, stop giving excuses.
Three
Then another bold person told Jesus he will also follow Him but first I will need to go back home to say goodbye to his family.
To this person, Jesus replied:
“No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God"
telling them the seriousness of being in full time ministry.
Now this is not to say that anyone who went into full time ministry and left, cannot turn around and come back.
In the contrary, the first disciples of Jesus -- Peter, James, John, Nathaniel, Thomas and two others, went back to Galilee after the body of Jesus was laid to rest (John 21).
Jesus answered this person who is telling Him, I will follow you but first let me do this one thing first. And this is no different than most of us who after being invited to come to church and is saying, I want to but I will need to do housework first, I will need to run an errand first, I will need to attend an event first, yada, yada, yada.
In response to these excuses, Jesus is almost like telling this person, if you are telling Me that you will go into full time ministry but only after you've done certain things, then maybe you aren't ready yet or you haven't really heard the call to do so.
When God calls you, it means right now, not later.
Quit looking for an excuse, you will find plenty. And yes stop saying, you will burn if you go inside a church building or read Scriptures or listen to a preaching. And quit saying that you need to be a good person first or you need to put your life in order first before you go. If you do, you will never be able to.
A church is not a museum for the pious or those who have it all together. Church is a place for those in need of help and a facility for those who can't help themselves. It is a haven for the lost, the hurting, for sinners and those needing God's love, acceptance and understanding.
Yes, Jesus is still telling people today "come, follow me". And He is using ordinary people, not for us to look at them or to follow them but for us to look at Christ and to follow Christ.
Two
Then to another person, Jesus did say "follow me".
This was the person who responded "first let me go bury my father". Which in reality, he wasn't really implying that his father was already dead (otherwise what is he still doing there).
In that place and time, when someone dies, they don't wait around. They prepare the body promptly for burial and they lay the body to rest, usually the very same day.
To this person when Jesus replied, let the dead bury their dead -- it was like telling him, your father isn't dead, he is probably still a very strong man and still have many years to live, stop giving excuses.
Three
Then another bold person told Jesus he will also follow Him but first I will need to go back home to say goodbye to his family.
To this person, Jesus replied:
“No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God"
telling them the seriousness of being in full time ministry.
Now this is not to say that anyone who went into full time ministry and left, cannot turn around and come back.
In the contrary, the first disciples of Jesus -- Peter, James, John, Nathaniel, Thomas and two others, went back to Galilee after the body of Jesus was laid to rest (John 21).
Jesus answered this person who is telling Him, I will follow you but first let me do this one thing first. And this is no different than most of us who after being invited to come to church and is saying, I want to but I will need to do housework first, I will need to run an errand first, I will need to attend an event first, yada, yada, yada.
In response to these excuses, Jesus is almost like telling this person, if you are telling Me that you will go into full time ministry but only after you've done certain things, then maybe you aren't ready yet or you haven't really heard the call to do so.
When God calls you, it means right now, not later.
Quit looking for an excuse, you will find plenty. And yes stop saying, you will burn if you go inside a church building or read Scriptures or listen to a preaching. And quit saying that you need to be a good person first or you need to put your life in order first before you go. If you do, you will never be able to.
A church is not a museum for the pious or those who have it all together. Church is a place for those in need of help and a facility for those who can't help themselves. It is a haven for the lost, the hurting, for sinners and those needing God's love, acceptance and understanding.
Yes, Jesus is still telling people today "come, follow me". And He is using ordinary people, not for us to look at them or to follow them but for us to look at Christ and to follow Christ.
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