Matthew 8:21-22 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (NIV).
Father’s Day was one week ago, and this sure seems like the opposite of a caring Father’s Day message or a caring any other day message. However, carefully examining this passage we can learn the message of Jesus is a life giving and caring message. One important context point here: I read years ago from a scholar or minister that the expression “bury my father” probably meant the man’s father was elderly, thus the request was to go and be with his father for a number of months or years in preparation for the man’s death.
So the message of Jesus: Death is not to be our focus. Life is to be our focus.
Thus, Jesus needs to be our core devotion!
Death is not to be what we are preparing for in this world! Waiting for the inevitable, physical death, is not to be the mode of a Christian. I personally committed to ministering to my Grandma in her last five years in this world. Quite the unique “ministry” for a single man in my thirties, yet it was simply the “ministry” I accepted and gave my all to. Grandma was not very mobile, yet for us, those years were not a time of waiting or preparing for death. Instead we lived. Since she did not drive, and since she could not walk far, I would take her out to eat at her favorite restaurant and a huge variety of other restaurants. I would take her on drives, and she would be able to see places she had not seen in many years. I would watch sports with her, frankly over doing it on that activity. And for a period of time when I was not working as a youth pastor, I took her to church. We had the privilege of learning from my favorite preacher of all time, Dr. David Beckman. They were years of living!
Had I been married and thus unable to make that huge commitment for so many years, I could have still expressed love to her, such as taking her out to eat and for a drive on special occasions. Your expression of love to family and friends, including any assistance, is between you and God. Yet we can always care, and we can always be witnessing Christ in our own personal way.
I add Jesus was not instructing the man to skip his dad’s memorial service. The man’s dad was probably not going to die any second, or the man would not have even been there in the first place. When family and friends pass away, God wants us to mourn. In fact, that is the only healthy response.
Yet key to this passage is the statement by Jesus: “Follow me.” Why? Because we can only engage in life in this world full of frustrations and hurts by relying on Jesus. Jesus is the One who has given believers in Him eternal life. In following Jesus day by day, we will continue to be a light for Christ to those who are spiritually lost and perishing. And only Jesus enables us to have genuine joy and peace. It is imperative that Jesus is your core devotion in order for you to engage in healthy ministry work. A person whose heart is completely devoted to Jesus can encourage elderly people to flourish in a relationship with Christ.
I could not have helped grandma as I did without help from Jesus. Honestly there were times when circumstances seemed hopeless, yet Jesus carried me through. And when things were going smooth, Jesus enabled me to have fun with grandma, someone who had little fun over many previous years. We followers of Jesus can engage in life now, and look forward to heaven to come.
Hunter Irvine
