For those who are alive to the truth of the Gospel, it is a time to dissociate from those who are dead to the
truth. This is the reason why Y‘shua spoke words that may seem at first sight to be harsh. He leaves us in no
doubt about what He means in his reply to the third would-be disciple. This man (not unreasonably) says that
before he gets on with the work of being a disciple, he would like to say goodbye to his family:
―And another also said, ―Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my
house‖. But Jesus said to him, ―No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God‖. (Luke 9:61-62 NKJV)
―Let me first...‖ These are not the words of one who is putting Y‘shua first! Y‘shua has already made the
point: we must put Him before family and friends and once we are committed to Him, there can be no turning
back.
In conclusion, we see how Y‘shua warned the Scribe of the price of true discipleship and gently reproved
these two would-be disciples who were minded to squander some of their Lord‘s time in unprofitable
activities. The lessons are as real for us today as they were some 2,000 years ago. The Apostle Paul, who
once walked in trespasses and sins but was called to the Gospel and responded in faith, wrote:
―But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
(8) But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
(9) And be found in him...
(10) That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
conformed to his death,
(11) If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead‖. (Phil 3:7-11 NKJV)
We could have no finer example of following Messiah!
To conclude: The man's father was not dead yet. The request to ―bury my father" was a Hebrew idiom
meaning, "Let me take care of all the affairs of my family‖. However, Elohim required an instantaneous
response. The Kingdom offer was present with Y‘shua. Anyone placing the physical cares of this world
ahead of the spiritual concerns of Elohim was not worthy to take part in the latter.
8:23-27 Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea
―(23) And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. (24) And, behold, there arose a great
tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. (25) And his
disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. (26) And he saith unto them, Why
are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great
calm. (27) But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey
him!‖
There is an interesting section found at Qumran in a fragment that deals with a priest that is to appear in the
future, whose righteousness brings light to his generation; but who also arouses fierce opposition (The Dead
Sea Scrolls a New Translation, Wise, Abegg and Cook, 1996, HarperSanFrancisco, p. 260.):
4Q541: ―The hid(den mysteries) he shall reveal (...) (for the one) who does not understand he shall write (...)
the Great Sea shall be quiet because of him‖.
Although a literal-level connection can clearly be made to "the sea being made quiet‖, this terminology (the
"sea") is rooted in deep Jewish mystical teachings regarding the end times.
8:28-34 Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
―(28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two
possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
(29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou
come hither to torment us before the time? (30) And there was a good way off from them an herd of many
swine feeding. (31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd
of swine. (32) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine:
and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the
waters. (33) And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what