Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 8:18-22

"Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandments to depart unto the other side. And there came a scribe, and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 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. And another of the disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead." — Matthew 8:18-22 (ASV)

One of the scribes was too hasty in his promise; he offered himself as a close follower of Christ. He seemed very resolute. Many resolutions regarding religion are made from sudden conviction and without careful consideration; these often come to nothing.

When this scribe offered to follow Christ, one might think he should have been encouraged, as one scribe could bring more credit and provide more service than twelve fishermen. But Christ saw his heart and responded to his thoughts. In this, He teaches everyone how to come to Christ. The scribe's resolve appears to have stemmed from a worldly, greedy motive. Christ, however, had no place to lay His head, and if the scribe were to follow Him, he should not expect to fare better than He did.

We have reason to think this scribe went away. Another was too slow. Delay in action is as detrimental on one hand as hastiness in decision-making is on the other. He asked for permission to bury his father, and then he would commit to Christ's service. This request seemed reasonable, yet it was not right.

He lacked true zeal for the work. Burying the dead, especially one's own father, is a good work, but it is not your work at this time. If Christ requires our service, even affection for our closest relatives and for tasks that are otherwise our duty must yield. An unwilling mind never lacks an excuse. Jesus said to him, Follow me; and, undoubtedly, power accompanied this word to him as it did to others. He did follow Christ and clung to Him.

The scribe said, I will follow you; to this other man, Christ said, Follow me. Comparing them shows that we are brought to Christ by the power of His call to us (Romans 9:16).