Jesus condemned the man for first wanting to go and bury his father because the man’s words—to first go
to bury his father—showed that following Jesus was not his first priority. It is even possible that he intended to say that as long as his father was still alive and may be in need of his help. As the Lord of life, Jesus could insist on the need to follow him to life—rather than a funeral response to death—before all else, because the relationship with him is more important than any other relationship. It is not wrong to bury your parents, but Jesus commands us to let go of all that prevents us from serving him.
The man’s error was the fact that he requested to first go
away from Jesus to conduct his business. Jesus wants to teach him and the audience that even the most important matters become completely peripheral when Jesus calls us. From the text itself it is unclear whether his father had already passed away prior to this conversation or whether he intended to say that as long as his father was still alive and may be in need of his help. Regardless, later Jewish literature did grant that prayers may be postponed for the sake of burying a loved one. The man in this episode spoke in a similar vein.1
As the Lord of life, he was uniquely able to express the need to follow him unto life in this way. His words do not invalidate the duty of children towards their parents nor does it invalidate the reverence that properly ought to accompany a burial. What his words do is reveal the chief end of human life. As the Son of Adam he turns that which has the last word on earth (death) into the past tense.2 There is therefore no need to interpret the burial referred to here as spiritual. What we have here is not a prohibition of burying your parents, but it is a command to let go of everything that prevents you from serving Jesus.3
22 Mais Jésus lui répondit: Suis-moi, et laisse les morts ensevelir leurs morts.