Bible Study - Hard (5) - Let the Dead Bury the Dead - Luke 9:57-62 - May 12, 2019

Bible Study – Hard (5) – Let the Dead Bury Their Dead – May 12, 2019


This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled, “HE Said What? Hard Sayings of JESUS.”


Our focus scripture is Luke 9:57-62.


Following JESUS takes priority over all other commitments.


What does it mean to be a follower of JESUS? JESUS made it clear that it is not easy but the rewards are eternal.


When we have a very best friend, what do we want to do with our time? We want to spend AS MUCH TIME WITH THAT PERSON AS POSSIBLE. 

My wife is my best friend and I enjoy every moment we spend together. Our relationship has been being built over 60 plus years. It has been formed over time. Strong relationships are formed over time.


Following JESUS is a growth/building process. Christians have to learn that they can trust HIM and HIS leadership through the indwelling Holy Spirit. So, what can we learn from this lesson?


First, let’s consider whether or not we are on the outside looking in or the inside looking out. Those outside looking in are those who find Christianity interesting or curious. To those looking in, Christianity is a religion that has existed for a long time. Maybe those looking in want to know more about Christianity. Or some may be Christians but they are just going through the motions. There is no power of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 

Sometimes, being a Christian is much like being a member of a social club, you pay your dues and go to the church to be social. True church is a training ground for Christians and a field hospital for those in need of salvation, for Christians to be rehabbed after battles and a sanctuary to find the peace that only GOD provides through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  


Every non-Christian must see that he or she is a sinner and as such, sin condemns him or her to a real place called Hell. Some might say or think, “Hell won’t be so bad because I will be there with my friends.” That is Satan’s lie. There are no words that can give you an idea or adequate concept about Hell. The closest thing to it is described in Luke 16:19-31: (JESUS was teaching)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 "There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.

20 But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate.

21 He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man's table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores.

22 One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.

24 'Father Abraham!' he called out, 'Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!'

25 " 'Son,' Abraham said, 'remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.'

27 " 'Father,' he said, 'then I beg you to send him to my father's house-

28 because I have five brothers-to warn them, so they won't also come to this place of torment.'

29 "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'

30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said. 'But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31 "But he told him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.' "


JESUS was speaking about a person being in Hades. Hades is generally associated with death and the grave and Hell is associated with burning and punishment. The bottom line is that neither is a place a person wants to be for eternity.


GOD does not send a person to Hades or Hell. Sin sends a person to Hell. That is why JESUS/GOD came to earth in the flesh. JESUS lived a sinless life in order to give HIS perfect, sinless, 100% human life to pay, in full, the penalty for sin. Yes, HE paid for all sin e.g. present, past and future sin. So, that means all people will go to Heaven! NO! There is a very critical decision that every person must make. What is that decision? It is whether or not to accept JESUS as his or her Savior by believing and accepting what JESUS did for him or her.


How can that be? The Apostle Paul said it best in 2 Corinthians 5:21:


21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us (all who place their faith in JESUS), so that we (born-again Christians) might become the righteousness of God in Him.


This is GOD’S plan and HE is sovereign. Yes, every person is a sinner saved by his or her faith in JESUS. All come by way of the cross upon which JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life through faith. Simply put, yet so hard for many to do. I know, I tried to figure it out but each person must take a step of faith.


Dear JESUS, here I am just as I am, please forgive me for my sins and come into my life and give me the strength to live my life for YOU. You do not have to clean up your life to come into the presence of GOD/JESUS. 

Come as you are and HE does the cleaning and makes you whiter than snow. No person can earn salvation by good works or by giving their resources or any other human way. If a person could earn his or her way to heaven then JESUS would not have needed to come to earth.


Ephesians 2:8-10:

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Every person must see his or her need to be freed from the consequence of sin, eternal death. Sin shackles him or her to eternal death. JESUS paid the penalty for sin, in full, through HIS shed blood. Even though JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life to remove the sin barrier, every person must personally accept JESUS as his or her Savior by faith. Faith in JESUS unshackles those from the consequence of sin, eternal death and allows the Holy Spirit to indwell him or her.


We may be a Christian but are we ready to obedient follow JESUS?


The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:2:


2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet able to receive it. In fact, you are still not able,


When a baby is born it needs milk and then as it grows it can take on solid food. The same is true with Spiritual rebirth. Christians are born into GOD’S Family but they need to grow Spiritually. Some grow faster than others. All Christians need to desire to grow Spiritually.


First Peter 2:2 - 2 Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in [your] salvation,

Desire leads Christians to prepare to obediently serve.


Let’s read Luke 9:57-58:

Following Jesus

57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go!"

58 Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."

This person stated that he would follow JESUS wherever HE went. JESUS cautioned this person to carefully consider what following HIM meant. It would not be easy. Who was this person? Let’s look back to Matthew 8:18-22:

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.

19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.

In verse 19, we read, “teacher of the law.” The “teacher of the law” was a scribe. 

JESUS cautioned the “teacher of the law” to count the cost before responding. Being a “teacher of the law” does not mean a person is equipped to follow JESUS. A person’s heart must be in unity and harmony with GOD to teach what the Holy Spirit leads him or her to teach. Did the words of JESUS result in this scribe reflecting on the words of JESUS? One would think JESUS would have jumped at the opportunity for a scribe to become a follower.

The Bible states in Proverbs 20:17 - 17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Being an obedient follower of JESUS does not mean a life of leisure. GOD allows issues to come into the lives of all people for many reasons. Some issues lead them to make a decision to either accept or reject JESUS as their Savior or those who are Christians to lead them to have a deeper relationship with HIM. We must keep in mind that GOD looks at our hearts or more specifically the “eyes of our hearts,” where truth prevails.

Let’s read Luke 9:59-60:

59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." "Lord," he said, "first let me go bury my father."

60 But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."

Notice, this time, JESUS asked a person to follow HIM. Our cursory reading seems that JESUS was being insensitive to the death of this person’s father until we realize that this person’s father was not dead. How do we know that? If this person’s dad had died, it is likely that he would have been at his dad’s home mourning the death of his dad.  

Another consideration is that this person wanted to wait until his father died before becoming a follower of JESUS? If this was the situation, it could have taken years before this person would physically follow JESUS. JESUS was on a timeline.

Another view is that this person’s dad was in ill health and was in the process of dying. Again, time was of the essence. Time is of the essence today. Christians must work while the gospel light shines.

Verse 60 sheds more Spiritual light on what JESUS was communicating.

60 But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."

We know that the physically dead cannot bury other physically dead. In essence, JESUS was saying, let the “spiritually dead bury the physically dead.”  I am calling you to a higher calling. I am calling you, who know the truth, to “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of GOD to the spiritually dead to receive eternal life through faith in ME, the promised Messiah.” JESUS was espousing a sense of urgency for this person to follow HIM immediately. Those JESUS calls today are called with that same sense of urgency because the time of HIS return is getting forever closer with each passing day.

When JESUS calls us to serve, HE expects us to respond. The key is that we are called. If we are not called, we do not need to respond. When we respond in our own strength, we burn out. When GOD calls, HE also equips and empowers. Yes, those called still tire but GOD refreshes and strengthens. But Christians must keep in mind that all are called to share the Good News of JESUS with others as GOD gives opportunity.

Let’s consider when JESUS called HIS disciples, JESUS’ invitation was simple, “follow ME.” To “follow” implies discipleship, willing to submit one’s self to be a learner and to apply what he or she is being taught by JESUS through the indwelling Holy Spirit and GOD’S Word.

John 10: 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Philip – John 1: 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Simon Peter, Andrew and James and John – Mark 1:16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.

20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Matthew – Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Those JESUS called, responded immediately but was this always the case?


Let’s read Luke 9:61-62:

61 Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house."

62 But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

This person committed to following JESUS but he wanted to “first” tell all at his house “good-bye.” This person made a statement “I will follow you.” If he was ready to follow JESUS, this person should have already said his good-bye’s. JESUS wants those who are ready to follow HIM to be prepared to hit the road when they are called. Those called need to count the costs, get matters in order, say their good-byes and be ready to follow. But was this person called by GOD or just responding to the moment?

These scriptures give a since of urgency to all who desire to obediently follow JESUS and are called by GOD to serve. Consider what those who were not ready to follow JESUS missed; not being taught by HIM and experiencing the hand of GOD working through their lives. The same is true for us today. When the Holy Spirit calls, we are to answer. 

Blessings!!!