But Jesus said unto him, Follow me, and let; Revised Version, leave. Yet the thought of leaving seems here merged in that of permitting. The dead (Revised Version, to) bury their (Revised Version, own) dead ( τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς).
The paradox was self-interpreting. Let the spiritually dead have to do with death; dead men belong in a special sense to them. Observe that there was no danger of his father remaining unburied. Christ means that there are times when his service admits of no postponement, however sacred the conflicting duty.
His followers must on such occasions be very Nazarites (Numbers 6:7) or high priests (Le Matthew 21:11). St. Luke adds, "But go thou, and publish abroad the kingdom of God," and adds a third similar case.