What Comes First?
Matthew 8:21–22 (NKJV)
“Then another of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’”
At first glance, these words from Jesus can seem harsh. How could Jesus tell someone not to bury their own father? Isn’t honoring our father and mother one of God’s commandments?
But Jesus wasn’t teaching us to dishonor our parents or neglect our responsibilities. He was teaching something much deeper about priorities, obedience, and the cost of following Him.
Notice what the disciple said: “Lord, let me first…”
Those three words reveal something we all struggle with.
How often do we tell God, “Lord, I’ll follow You, but first let me get my finances in order.” Or, “Lord, I’ll serve You, but first let me get through this busy season.” Maybe it’s, “Lord, I’ll surrender that part of my life, but first let me take care of a few things.”
We may have every intention of following Christ, but we keep placing something else ahead of Him.
Some scholars suggest the disciple’s father may not yet have died, meaning he wanted to delay following Jesus until his family obligations were fulfilled. While Scripture doesn’t confirm this, Jesus’ message is clear: following Him must not be postponed.
When Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” He was drawing a distinction between those who are spiritually alive in Him and those who remain spiritually dead.
Jesus wasn’t saying that family doesn’t matter. He was saying that nothing, not even the things we consider most important in this life, should take priority over our relationship with God.
And that brings us to a difficult question.
How many times have we asked God to wait on us while expecting Him to immediately answer when we call upon Him?
We want His guidance, His provision, His protection, and His blessings. But when He calls us to obedience, we sometimes respond with conditions.
Following Christ isn’t something we fit into our schedule when everything else is finished. It is the foundation upon which everything else should be built.
Here’s my challenge for you today:
Examine the things you’ve been putting ahead of your relationship with Christ. Are they truly responsibilities God has placed before you, or have they become excuses for delaying obedience?
There will always be another task, another obligation, another reason to wait.
But when Jesus says, “Follow Me,” the question isn’t whether we have time.
The question is whether we’ve made Him our priority.
— Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org
