»Follow me,« said Jesus, »and leave the dead to bury their own dead.«
Another of the disciples said to Him, »Sir, allow me first to go and bury my father.«
Passing on thence Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, »Follow me.« And he arose, and followed Him.
And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, »Follow me.« So he rose and followed Him.
for my son here was dead and has come to life again: he was lost and has been found.' »And they began to be merry.
We are bound to make merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and has been found.'«
»Follow me,« He said to another. »Master,« the man replied, »allow me first to go and bury my father.«
»Leave the dead,« Jesus rejoined, »to bury their own dead; but you must go and announce far and wide the coming of the Kingdom of God.«
The next day, having decided to leave Bethany and go into Galilee, Jesus found Philip, and invited him to follow Him.
This He said to indicate the kind of death by which that disciple would bring glory to God; and after speaking thus He said to him, »Follow me.«
»If I desire him to remain till I come,« replied Jesus, »what concern is that of yours? You, yourself, must follow me.«
To you Gentiles also, who were dead through your offences and sins,
caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ –it is by grace that you have been saved–
For this reason it is said, »Rise, sleeper; rise from among the dead, and Christ will shed light upon you.«
And to you –dead as you once were in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your natural state– He has nevertheless given Life with Himself, having forgiven us all our transgressions.
but a pleasure-loving widow is dead even while still alive.