Matthew 8:21 (ASV)

Passage

And another of the disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:19 And there came a scribe, and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Matthew 8:21 And another of the disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "another", "disciples", "said", "lord", "suffer", "first", "bury", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "another" and "disciples", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And Jesus saith unto him The foxes..." into verse 22's "But Jesus saith unto him Follow me...", so "another" and "disciples" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "another" and "disciples" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.