Daily Devotional

The second man is in a different place from the scribe. Matthew calls him “another of the disciples,” and he uses the right title: “Lord.” But listen to the very next words: “let me first.” You cannot really say “Lord” and “me first” in the same breath. Those words do not belong together.

On the surface, his request sounds not only reasonable but godly. Burying one’s father was among the most sacred duties a Jewish son had, so important that it excused him from other religious obligations. And honoring father and mother is one of the Ten Commandments. But consider the timing. In Israel, the dead were buried the same day, and the family then stayed home to mourn. If this man’s father had just died, he would not be standing on the shore talking with Jesus. Kenneth Bailey, who spent decades in the Middle East, explains that “let me first bury my father” was a common way of saying, “Let me wait until my father dies, and then I will come.” His father may have been old or sick; he may have lived another twenty years.

The scribe said “wherever.” This man says “whenever.” Many of us know exactly how he feels. After the kids are grown, I will get serious. After this busy season at work, I will serve. After money is not so tight, I will give. Once I deal with this hard stretch, I will deal with that sin. In marriage, the same logic surfaces: I will honor my husband when he acts worthy of honor; I will love my wife when she acts worth loving. But Scripture simply commands us to love and to honor (Ephesians 5:22-33). Whatever God requires of us now must be done now, not after conditions we have set.