Matthew 8:21 kjv
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Matthew 8:21 nkjv
Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
Matthew 8:21 niv
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
Matthew 8:21 esv
Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
Matthew 8:21 nlt
Another of his disciples said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."
Matthew 8 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 9:59-60 | Another said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” | Parallel account, clarifying Jesus' challenging response. |
| Lk 9:61-62 | Another also said, “Lord, I will follow you, but first let me bid farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” | Similar delaying tactic; the cost of radical commitment. |
| Mt 10:37 | Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me... | Jesus demands ultimate loyalty, surpassing familial bonds. |
| Lk 14:26-27 | “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother... he cannot be my disciple.” | Exaggerated language emphasizing supreme priority for Christ. |
| Mt 6:33 | But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness... | The foundational principle of prioritising God's reign. |
| 1 Kgs 19:19-21 | Elisha was plowing... and Elijah passed by him... Elisha then left his oxen... he went after Elijah. | Elisha's immediate response to prophetic call after a short farewell. |
| Lk 5:11 | When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. | Examples of immediate and complete surrender to Jesus' call. |
| Lk 18:28-30 | Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” | Promise of reward for ultimate sacrifice for the Kingdom. |
| Deut 33:9 | Moses declared of Levi: He said of his father and mother, 'I regard them not'; he knows not his brothers... for they observed your word and kept your covenant. | The tribe of Levi's example of choosing God's service over family ties. |
| Gen 12:1 | Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” | Abraham's foundational call to leave family and homeland. |
| Php 3:7-8 | But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ... I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. | Paul's declaration of renouncing all for Christ. |
| 2 Cor 6:2 | For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. | Emphasizes the urgency of responding to God's call. |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | Call to immediate faith, without procrastination or prerequisite. |
| Rom 12:1 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | The call to complete self-offering to God. |
| Prov 27:1 | Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. | Caution against presumption about future time and life. |
| Isa 6:8 | Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” | Immediate and unreserved response to divine calling. |
| Lk 9:23 | If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. | The daily, self-denying commitment required for discipleship. |
| Lk 14:33 | So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. | The radical renunciation required for genuine discipleship. |
| 1 Pet 4:7 | The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. | Emphasizes the urgency due to the nearness of God's final purposes. |
| Eccl 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. | Encourages diligent, timely action in what is appointed for you. |
| Mt 25:1-13 | Parable of the ten virgins, five foolish who lacked readiness. | Illustrates the need for constant readiness and vigilance. |
| Acts 4:19-20 | But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” | The priority of obedience to God over human directives. |
Matthew 8 verses
Matthew 8 21 Meaning
This verse presents a plea from a potential follower of Jesus who, acknowledging Jesus as "Lord," requests a temporary leave of absence before committing fully to discipleship. His stated reason, "to go and bury my father," represents a significant familial obligation within Jewish culture, often signifying the duty to care for an elderly parent until their death and then oversee their burial rites. The disciple asks for this responsibility to be fulfilled "first," implying a prioritisation of an earthly, although honorable, duty over the immediate and radical call to follow Jesus. This verse sets the stage for Jesus' counter-cultural response in the subsequent verse, highlighting the supreme and immediate priority of the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 8 21 Context
Matthew chapter 8 immediately follows Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, demonstrating His authority through powerful deeds—healing lepers, the centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law, calming a storm, and casting out demons. These miracles affirm His messianic identity and divine power. The sequence involving the would-be disciples (Mt 8:19-22) serves as a stark transition, shifting focus from Jesus' miraculous power to the demanding nature of following Him. This passage underscores that discipleship is not merely an admiration of power or doctrine, but a costly commitment requiring radical reorientation of life. Historically, Jewish society placed immense value on familial piety, particularly the honor and care due to parents, with burial being a paramount sacred duty. This cultural background illuminates the depth of the disciple's request, making Jesus' immediate and seemingly harsh response (in the subsequent verse) profoundly counter-cultural and revolutionary, emphasizing the unprecedented call of the Kingdom.
Matthew 8 21 Word analysis
- And (Greek: Kai - καί): A simple conjunction, connecting this event to the preceding encounter where Jesus challenged another would-be disciple regarding physical comforts. It implies continuity in the theme of the cost of discipleship.
- another (Greek: Heteros - ἕτερος): Distinct from "allos" (ἄλλος) which means "another of the same kind," "heteros" means "another of a different kind." Here, it points to this disciple's specific situation or obstacle being unique from the one mentioned just before. He wasn't hesitant due to lack of place to sleep, but due to family obligations.
- of his disciples (Greek: Tōn mathētōn autou - τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ): "Disciples" (mathētēs - μαθητής) refers to a learner, follower, or apprentice. This person was not just a casual observer but someone who had already committed, at least partially, to following Jesus, hence the address "Lord." This indicates that even those who are already aligned with Jesus can face significant tests of commitment.
- said (Greek: Eipen - εἶπεν): A simple past tense verb, indicating a direct statement.
- unto him (Greek: Autō - αὐτῷ): To Jesus.
- Lord (Greek: Kyrie - Κύριε): An address of respect and authority, meaning "Master," "Sir," or "Lord." The fact that this disciple uses it indicates a recognition of Jesus' standing, but it precedes a request that reveals a partial understanding of the implications of following such a Lord.
- suffer me (Greek: Epitrepsoi moi - ἐπίτρεψόν μοι): From the verb "epitrepō" (ἐπιτρέπω), meaning "to permit," "allow," or "give leave." It's a request for permission to attend to something before fully dedicating to Jesus' call. This is a crucial word; it's a request for delayed obedience.
- first (Greek: Prōton - πρῶτον): Emphasises priority in time. The disciple seeks to fulfil this familial obligation before permanently joining Jesus. This indicates his heart's current priority.
- to go and bury my father (Greek: Apelthein protos thapsai ton patera mou - ἀπελθεῖν πρῶτον θάψαι τὸν πατέρα μου):
- go (Greek: Apelthein - ἀπελθεῖν): To depart.
- bury (Greek: Thapsai - θάψαι): To inter or prepare for burial.
- my father (Greek: Ton patera mou - τὸν πατέρα μου): This phrase is widely understood not as requesting leave to perform an immediate funeral (as burials were usually within 24 hours of death and highly urgent, making Jesus' response seem calloused), but rather as an idiomatic expression. It likely meant to remain at home and care for his elderly father until he naturally died, then to oversee the burial, and only after that commitment, join Jesus fully. It was an expectation to remain by one's father until his passing and the inheritance was secured. This illustrates a tension between a vital social and familial duty and the urgent, immediate call of the Kingdom. The request is not to miss the Kingdom work but to postpone his involvement until his existing filial obligations are completed.
- "another of his disciples said unto him": This highlights that not all who were in Jesus' inner circle or aspiring to be so possessed the immediate and radical readiness for His call. It speaks to the diverse motivations and hindrances among those who encountered Jesus.
- "Lord, suffer me first": The combination of "Lord" with "suffer me first" reveals a misunderstanding of the implications of Jesus' Lordship. True Lordship demands ultimate and immediate obedience, not requests for delayed, conditional following based on personal schedules or obligations, even if noble.
- "to go and bury my father": As discussed, this phrase, when interpreted as waiting for an elderly father to die and then burying him, represents the placing of a deeply ingrained cultural and familial duty as a prerequisite to discipleship. It illustrates a common human tendency to want to complete "important" earthly tasks before fully submitting to God's divine will, perceiving them as mutually exclusive in time rather than prioritizing.
Matthew 8 21 Bonus section
This exchange underlines the radical nature of Jesus' call to discipleship, which requires a fundamental reordering of a person's priorities. It highlights that the Kingdom of God has a paramount claim, superseding even deeply held and virtuous responsibilities. The "first" in the disciple's request is key, revealing a condition for his availability rather than an unconditional surrender. This tension forces the follower to decide where their ultimate allegiance lies. Many challenges to discipleship arise not from evil intentions, but from good, earthly duties that are elevated above the divine call, causing delay or deferment of ultimate commitment.
Matthew 8 21 Commentary
This seemingly straightforward request from a disciple, understood in its original context, reveals a profound spiritual struggle: the conflict between legitimate human obligations and the absolute, immediate demands of the Kingdom of God. The disciple's desire to "first" bury his father reflects a deeply respected societal and religious duty of filial piety. However, Jesus' mission was urgent and transformative, challenging conventional priorities. His response, revealed in the next verse, prioritises the spiritual reality of God's immediate Kingdom over earthly commitments, no matter how commendable they may seem. This teaches that true discipleship involves an unreserved commitment where following Christ becomes the singular, overarching priority, above all else. It's not a rejection of family, but an assertion that God's call transcends all earthly bonds and temporal plans.