„...hagyd, hogy a halottak eltemessék saját halottaikat!”

“Let the Dead Bury Their Dead”. Jewish Funerary Customs and Matthew 8:21–22. Funerary customs are inseparable from the fifth commandment. They impose strict obligations on relatives, lasting until the end of a one-year period. The practice of ossilegium, that is, the collection of the bones of the deceased, marks the conclusion of this process. When decomposition completes its cycle, the deceased is “survived”. The buried individual finds comfort in the expiatory disintegration he/she undergoes. However, this process causes pain and discomfort, which is why the commitment to the deceased is so crucial: the surviving relatives must care for the body to alleviate the discomforts of its decay. Rituals honouring the departed ensure final peace and secure the transition from the world of the living to the world of the “fathers”. Neglecting these duties results in pain, suffering, and shame—not only for the deceased but also for the careless and negligent kin. Should anyone dare to shirk their responsibilities regarding funerary obligations, they would face punishment: hatred, contempt, and even excommunication. Jesus invites his disciple to follow him, fully aware of the theological and ethical demands of burial customs. The harsh rejection of the follower’s duties renders Jesus’ words intolerable. Yet, with humour, Jesus can alleviate the scandal, and by turning a commonly understood image of family burial chambers—where generations rest together—into a puzzle, he compels the listener to seek understanding. What does it mean for the dead to bury their own dead? How is this connected to discipleship? The answer is not straightforward, as it is not merely an intellectual assertion but an act of following.