We’re weighed down as though we’re trying to carry dead bodies.   •   Topics: Jesus Christ. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. “Let the Dead Bury the Dead” “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.” Matthew 8:21-23. What did He mean by this? Jesus wasn’t saying that people who were physically dead should bury other dead people; as you say, that wouldn’t make sense. Instead they really were saying that they wanted to stay with their father until he died—something that might be years away. If the Lord is tugging on your heartstrings right now, perhaps you realize what, or whom, you need to let go in order to give your all to Him. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5d937d582c21e69c Privacy Used by permission. Home Beginning August 20, 2020, all scriptures used unless otherwise noted are from the King James version which is not copyrighted. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. Don’t hold back any longer. By Billy Graham   •   1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Almost anything can come between us and God; the devil will make sure of that. “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. And this we will do, if God permits. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. Let the dead, such as the Jews who reject belief in Me; let those who are steeped in sin and worldliness, bury their own dead, i.e., those who are figuratively dead like themselves, or those of their own relations who are naturally dead, and, it may be, spiritually dead likewise. When someone in Jesus’ day said they wanted to go bury their father, it didn’t necessarily mean he was already dead. Permissions He said he would follow Jesus later, but first he wanted to go bury his father. All scriptures used before August 24, 2017 are from the King James version of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. To us Jesus’ words to this man might sound harsh—but that is because we don’t understand what the man was really saying. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. I speak from far too much experience of professing to love the Lord while in reality loving the people and stuff I refused to let go more than I loved Him. But Jesus’ call has not changed: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Once the funeral is complete, you go to the gravesite and proceed with burying the body. Your IP: 185.2.4.101 ©2020 BGEA Some of us have dead dreams, dead relationships, dead thinking, and dead people, not to mention a whole lot of other dead stuff, we are hanging onto whereby we are unable to be full-fledged followers of Christ. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.” Matthew 8:21-23. October 5, 2004 Billy Graham: Would You Have Welcomed Jesus or Rejected Him? I encourage you to read the Bible daily & to look up references as you are led to ensure accuracy in your personal studies, learning, and growth. If it’s time to let go, by all means, let go! • BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. He said he would follow Jesus later, but first he wanted to go bury his father. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. Scriptures from the NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Though I rarely use verses from other versions, please note when I did in the past or if I do again that, “Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.