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Bible Studies for Life Lesson for May 12: Let the Dead Bury Their Dead
Daniela Sanchez, member, The Summit Church, Durham
May 03, 2019
2 MIN READ TIME

Bible Studies for Life Lesson for May 12: Let the Dead Bury Their Dead

Bible Studies for Life Lesson for May 12: Let the Dead Bury Their Dead
Daniela Sanchez, member, The Summit Church, Durham
May 03, 2019

Focal passages: Luke 9:57-62

As a new believer I assumed one of the most common misconceptions about being a disciple: I thought Christianity promised smooth sailing and an easier life.

I soon realized following Christ comes with unexpected costs.

In Luke 9:57-58, we learn that following Him does not guarantee comfort. If the Messiah has no place to lay His head for rest, what guarantee do those who follow Him have?

Jesus then calls a man to follow him and the man responds, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:59-60). Not only was Jesus saying that delayed obedience is disobedience, but He was also calling this man to be more devoted to following Christ than to burying his own father.

The interaction doesn’t mean that following Christ is our only responsibility. We know this because God commands that we honor our parents, and in 1 Timothy 5:8 He tells us that, “… if anyone does not provide for his own … he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Being His disciple must take precedence over all else.

In fact, when we prioritize our commitment to Christ, we manage other responsibilities in ways that honor Him.

A third man asks to say goodbye to his family before following Jesus, and the Lord replies, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:61-62).

In most things we understand that we cannot move forward if we’re looking back. The same applies when following Jesus. Philippians 3:13 and 2 Timothy 2:4 give examples of what it means to be a disciple without being distracted by the world.

So, when the turbulent storms of life hit, take courage fellow disciple! We have been promised trouble in this world, but we have also been promised that He has overcome (John 16:33).