“And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 9:59 Mean?
Jesus calls a man to follow Him, and the man's response is: "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." The request sounds entirely reasonable—burying a parent was one of the most sacred obligations in Jewish culture. It was legally, socially, and religiously the highest priority. Nothing took precedence over honoring the dead.
Jesus' response ("Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God") is one of His most shocking statements. He's not being callous about the father's death. He's establishing that following Him supersedes even the most sacred human obligation. The kingdom doesn't wait for your cultural schedule. When Jesus says "follow," the response required is immediate.
The phrase "suffer me first" reveals the man's real issue: he wants to follow, but first. He has a condition. A prerequisite. A prior engagement. And Jesus says: no firsts. No conditions. No "before I follow you, let me handle this." The call to follow is the first priority, and anything placed before it—no matter how legitimate—becomes an obstacle.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What is your 'let me first'—the condition you've placed on fully following Jesus?
- 2.Is there a legitimate obligation that you've been placing above Jesus' call? How do you know if it's an obstacle or a genuine priority?
- 3.The man called Jesus 'Lord' and then negotiated his terms. Do you call Him Lord while adding conditions?
- 4.If nothing—not even the most sacred human duty—takes precedence over following Jesus, what needs to change in your priority structure?
Devotional
"Lord, let me first..." Two words that disqualify every disciple who speaks them: let me first. Before I follow You, let me handle this. Before I obey, let me finish that. Before I surrender, let me take care of one thing. The man's request was culturally impeccable. Burying a parent was the highest obligation. And Jesus said: not higher than this.
The radicality of Jesus' demand is almost offensive. He's saying that following Him takes precedence over the most sacred human duty available. Not over trivial things—over sacred things. The most honorable obligation in your culture, if it comes between you and Jesus' call, gets subordinated. Nothing—not even burying your father—comes first.
The man said "Lord." He called Jesus Lord. He acknowledged His authority. And then he immediately placed a condition on his obedience. That's the anatomy of partial discipleship: you call Him Lord and then add your terms. You acknowledge His authority and then negotiate your timeline. Lord, yes—but first.
If you've been saying "let me first" to Jesus—if you've been placing conditions on your obedience, negotiating your timeline, adding prerequisites to your surrender—this verse confronts you directly. The call is now. Not after. Not later. Not when you've handled your other obligations. The dead can bury the dead. But you—you who have been called by the living God—go. Now. Without the "first."
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
We have here an account of three several persons that offered themselves to follow Christ, and the answers that Christ…
Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father An ancient, but groundless tradition (Clem. Alex. Strom,ill. 4, § 25),…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture