Matthew 8:21 - Exposition

And another of his (Revised Version, the ) disciples said unto him . Disciples in the wider sense ( Matthew 5:1 , note),whether the twelve had or had not been chosen. In the latter case, the man may have been Thomas (Trench, loc. cit. ), but hardly Philip (Clem. Alex.) after John 1:43 . Yet it is precarious to see in him the despondency of Thomas ( John 11:6 ; John 20:24 , John 20:25 ) merely because his father is dead, and he has scruples about immediately following Christ. Lord, suffer me first. The man's words imply a consciousness of a call. His heart told him that he ought to go, but he asks for a delay, and, in fact, a real difficulty seems to hinder him from going. St. Luke places the Lord's "Follow me" before the man's request; but here, as in textual criticism, proclivi scriptioni praestat ardua. To go and bury my father. Then lying dead. Of all filial duties perhaps the most bind-ins (cf. Tobit 4:3; 14:10, 11). Observe