Luke 9:59 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

NIV: He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But he replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'

NASB: And He said to another, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.'

CSB: Then he said to another, "Follow me.""Lord," he said, "first let me go bury my father."

NLT: He said to another person, 'Come, follow me.' The man agreed, but he said, 'Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.'

KJV: And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

NKJV: Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Luke is presenting another flashback to further explain what Jesus requires of His disciples. In the previous example, a scribe wanted to follow Jesus and Jesus told him he would have to give up the luxury of house and bed (Luke 9:57–58; Matthew 8:19). In this case, Jesus personally invites a man to come along with Him.

Culturally, the man's request is honorable. Caring for one's parents is a significant tenet both in Judaism and later in Christianity. Scholars debate over what the man means by "burying" his father. If his father has just died and needs to be embalmed and placed in a tomb, the man will be made unclean for a week to fulfill the purification process (Numbers 19:11). If his father is on his deathbed, he'll have to wait for the death and then perform the purification process. It's possible, however, the man is referring to the completion of the burial process. When someone died, they were wrapped in aromatic herbs and placed in a tomb. After a year during which the bugs ate the flesh, the bones were removed and placed in an ossuary—a stone box—which was permanently placed in the family tomb.

The man may even have meant, "I want to wait until my father has died," either to avoid upsetting his family or to simply wait for a more convenient time.

Jesus' response is scandalous. The man has the responsibility of ensuring his father is properly buried. Jesus tells him: Let someone else do it; following Me takes precedence over even the most honorable family obligation (Luke 9:60). Only the Messiah, the Son of God, could make such a demand.

Matthew identifies this man as "another of the disciples" (Matthew 8:21). We tend to think of the disciples as just the Twelve, but larger groups did periodically travel with Jesus.

Luke 9:57–62 continues Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. For Luke, this is a theological path to the cross and the ascension (Luke 9:51). Unlike the Samaritan villagers (Luke 9:51–56), these three men have some desire to follow Jesus but are discouraged by worldly concerns. Though Luke does not tell us whether the men decide to follow Jesus, it seems these interactions are reflective of the soil filled with the weeds of "cares and riches and pleasures of life" that hear Jesus' words but "their fruit does not mature" (Luke 8:14). Jesus explains that dedication to His mission requires commitment and sacrifice. Matthew 8:19–22 also records Jesus' interactions with the first two men.

Luke 9 completes Jesus' Galilean ministry and begins describing His journey towards Jerusalem. Jesus gives His disciples miraculous power and commissions them to preach. The empowerment thrills the disciples but confuses Herod Antipas. A hungry crowd of thousands and hard teachings about following Jesus, however, shows the disciples' faith is short-lived. The transfiguration and the demonized boy precede stories of the disciples' continued confusion. They still struggle to accurately represent Jesus. Luke 9:51–62 begins the "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) with examples of the patience and sacrifice needed to represent Jesus as His followers.

Luke 9 straddles the two major sections biblical scholars call "Jesus' Galilean Ministry" (Luke 4:14—9:50) and "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). The Galilean ministry alternates calls to discipleship with stories on Jesus' authority and teachings. The travelogue records what Jesus did and taught to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. After a final group of stories on how to respond to Jesus (Luke 9:51—11:13) and several examples of how the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus (Luke 11:14–54), Luke presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—19:27).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.