Abstract
In Africa, life, death and burial are issues of survival. There is a perceived connection and dialogue between the living and the dead; hence, life continues after death. Although one seizes to live in this material world, life continues in the spirit world. Like any other rite of passage, funerals are key aspects of African life. The living has a responsibility of decently burying their dead or the living dead. Failure to respect the dead during and after burial is believed to be a curse that disrupts life for the future generations. This article seeks to articulate the understanding of Matthew 8:22, considering the African understanding of death and funeral rites among Africans. There is a need to interpret Jesus’ hyperbolic statement that emphasises the need for unwavering dedication to engage in the ministry of Christ in the context of caring for one’s parents and loved ones even when they die and need burial.
Contribution: The study attempts to address the dilemma that some Christians are faced with, when being advised not to consider attending funerals as an important matter of building faith and relationships, with the use or misuse of biblical verses like Matthew 8:22. This study further seeks to demonstrate that community building via funerals is one of the African- rich practices.
Keywords: African; burial; death; father; theological.
Introduction
Death and burial have been a phenomenon since humanity existed. The definitions of death, burial and burial rites have also been defined within the context in which the deceased was living. With its devastating effects, death has pushed both African traditions and different religions, including Christianity, to seek some ways of dealing with its unintended consequences. It is interesting to note that even Jesus lived in times when the culture and tradition of his time did not exclude religious and cultural perspectives on death and dying. One of his followers-to-be asked the following question that forms the gist of this study after being called to follow Jesus: ‘May I first go home and bury my father before I come back and follow you?’. That is when Jesus responded with the words: ‘Follow Me and let the dead bury the dead’ (Mt 8:22). Therefore, some of the questions that this article will grapple with are whether Jesus did not take the issue of burial seriously, and whether he did not want people to attend burials or funerals. There is deeper philosophical thinking behind this statement, because people, Jews included, died and were buried both before and after Jesus came into this world. Although it is difficult to find an account where Jesus conducted a funeral during his earthly ministry, He is recorded a few times encountering people who were burying or going to bury the dead. For instance, in Luke 7:11–17, he met a funeral procession just before raising the widow’s dead son. Without being exact as to how long the funeral was to take place, when he arrived in Lazarus’ house, the mourning period was still on (Jn 11:17–41). This coincides greatly with what Lynne (2019) intends in saying:
In first-century Jewish Palestine, the son would commonly bury his father on the day of his passing. The family would then mourn for one week (a practice referred to as ‘sitting shivah’). (p. 1)
This article aims to explore whether Matthew 8:22 implies that Christians should not attend the funerals of their loved ones or participate in funerals in general. The central theoretical question is the intended meaning of Jesus’ response in this verse. It is crucial to interpret this statement within the specific context in which Jesus spoke it. Key considerations include whether the disciple’s father was actually dead and the circumstances surrounding the son of the deceased during the time of death and burial.
Research methods and design
The approach adopted for this research commences with the historical-grammatical method, together with some exegetical commentaries and then proceed with a historical-critical reading. The context of this scenario forms an important basis for understanding this historical analysis. It is from this perspective that the authors’ intended meaning for the original readers can be discerned, to derive at some interpretation what these words could mean, for today’s readers. German scholars were among those who began this method in the 18th century and went on to be guided even more by the Enlightenment rationality. John August Ernesti (1707–1781) was regarded as one of the founders of this approach. For Hall (2005), this method is context bound, in other words, it should be the context that direct readers to a possible intended meaning.
Ethical considerations
Ethical approval for this project was granted at University of South Africa by College of Human Sciences Research Ethics Review Committee with ethical clearance number 90163346_CREC_CHS_2024.
Limitations of this study
This study does not aim to discuss or compare the burial or funeral practices of different cultures or religions. Instead, it seeks to determine whether Jesus’ words in Matthew 8:22 can be interpreted to discourage Christians or religious leaders from attending funerals. The focus will be on the biblical interpretation of this specific scripture and relevant sources, with the goal of providing informed pastoral advice.
The meaning of life and death for Africans
Among Africans, life begins at conception and has no end. That is why the use of the terms ‘death’ or ‘dying’ is not well received, from an African perspective, as they believe that one ‘passes on’. In Tsonga, they go on to announce that so-and-so ‘u hundzile emisaveni’, meaning so-and-so ‘passed away’ or ‘passed on’. After passing away physically, people continue to exist, because they have transcended into the afterlife and joined the group of living dead in the spiritual realm (Mbiti 1990). Death is only a transition to another life, which will protect those who are still living in this physical world. After death, a person’s spirit, or essence, is not destroyed; rather, it has moved to dwell in the domain of their spiritual ancestors, marking a natural transition from the visible to the invisible, or spiritual ontology (Baloyi & Makobe-Rabothata 2014). Thus, death, from the perspective of an indigenous African ontology, does not mean the end of life; rather, it signifies the start of a new stage of existence (King 2013). There is always communication and links between the living and the dead, through ancestral spirits believed to be closer to God (Hove 2020). Jindra and Noret (2011:31) argue that ‘the ancestors become key players that influence the living’. African funerals, with observance of protocols and rituals, mark their identity as a family, tribe or society. Setsiba (2012) posits that African people’s burial practices and observances ‘vary according to ethnicity, clan, kinship and belief system’. Although some of the rituals take the same format and meaning, others differ and are cherished among the various African communities. They carry meanings and significance to both the dead and the living. It is believed that if some rituals are not properly observed, it will have a harmful impact on the family members and those left behind. One example is the slaughtering of a cow and wrapping the body of the deceased in the cowhide or placing this over the casket; this is regarded as showing love to the deceased, but also not necessarily to provide meat for those who assist in the burial (Mapaya & Mugovhani 2014). Careful observances of these rituals are done during and after burial.
Funeral and post-burial rituals mark the transition of one’s life from one stage to the other. Baloyi and Makobe-Rabothata (2014) posit that African rituals serve as symbols for cultural performances and life transitions that identify people’s experiences. They depend on the nature of the person who has died and the nature of their passing, as well as the period the rituals must be done or not. Some of ‘these events can mark the end of mourning, the transition of the deceased to the world’ (Jindra & Noret 2011:30). For example, among the Shona people in Zimbabwe, ancestor hood is achieved through post-burial rites of passage of bringing the spirit back home, or kurova guva (Hove 2020). This is meant for the deceased to look after those who are left behind, especially one’s children. If these rituals are not carried out, the spirit of the deceased is believed to remain roaming in the wilderness. Therefore, the rituals are meant to maintain the harmony between the living and the dead. The community of the living greatly values and reveres their ancestors, because they guard and guide people in the material world (Baloyi & Makobe-Rabothata 2014). There is communal interdependence between the living and the dead among Africans. The kurova guva ritual also marks the end of the mourning period, as it has some aspects of closure, such as the distribution of inheritance, which, in the past, included the widow, or to give the widower the freedom to marry another wife.
Attending funerals is critical among Africans. The word of the impending burial is passed on as quickly as possible so that, if possible, all should attend, except the sick and the dying. The message of death needs to reach every member of the family and extended relatives, to avoid bad omens. Among the Shona, in Zimbabwe, the elders would burn some rukweza [rapoko or grain], so that those who would miss the message, for some or other reason, may not suffer from accidents – as part of bad omens. Funeral attendance and burying of the parents or loved ones is highly regarded, and one is highly honoured by the family and community. One who buries the loved one is believed to be more blessed. Therefore, failure to attend funerals has bad consequences. Everyone strives to be there during the burial or else he or she will come later kuzobata mavoko [shake hands in consolation], to acknowledge the suffering and loss of the family. Failure to adhere to the stipulated rituals, including attending burial rituals, is perceived as disrespecting the departed; hence, this may cause bad luck (Setsiba 2012). Attending a funeral is to pay tribute to the loved one. Death and funeral rites are performed to bring the members of the family and community together. They are a point of meeting and unity that cannot be ignored or neglected. ‘It is believed that calamity looms over a family that disrespects the traditional funeral rite’ (Biwul 2014:21). Such negligence will be tantamount to irresponsibility, and viewed as disrespectful to the elders, the family, the dead and the ancestors, calling for curses and bad luck.
Families are prepared to lose large sums of money to give their loved ones a decent burial. It does not matter whether the family has a funeral policy or belongs to a burial society, or not, the demand for a decent burial remains a priority among African families. Funerals are a financial risk to the household, because they lead to financial constraints in one way or another (Case & Menendez 2011). When it comes to paying for an adult’s burial, households can borrow the equivalent of a year’s salary from money lenders, if necessary, in order to have a fitting memorial that reflects the status of both the deceased person and the household (Case et al. 2008). The spirit of the dead is both revered and dreaded and, therefore, the family accord befitting burials to their departed loved ones (Biwul 2014). The household spends more and even goes out to borrow to satisfy their desire to give a decent send-off for their loved ones. There is no way the dead can be ignored, as could be interpreted in the words, ‘let the dead bury their dead’. Although a death and funeral can have an economically incapacitating effect, it is an important custom and ceremony among Africans. Everyone would like to give his or her best, as a way of appeasing the spirit of the departed. That is the reason why people who died during a war are excavated to be buried on home ground. Such efforts are undertaken to bring harmony between the living and the dead, as well as healing, and providing comfort and closure to those who are left behind. Most African people, including Tsongas, see death as a bridge into the next life, where they will be in the world of ancestors or the land of spirits (Baloyi & Makobe-Rabothata 2014). The burial would often be referred to as taking someone to his or her final resting place or yindlu yo hetelela. This resonates well with the writings on the tombstones, which would be, ‘rest in peace’.
The biblical meaning of death and life within the context of Matthew 8:22
The phenomenon of death is an old history, even from the biblical point of view
The original language of Greek and its direct translation would be: ‘Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἴπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀκολούθει μοι, καὶ ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς’. The meaning is ‘But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead”’ (Westcott & Hort 1881).
There is difficulty in understanding this message without its immediate context. This verse is also recorded by Luke in 9:60. This was not the first man to be recruited into the ministry of Jesus, but others were called before and their ‘immediate response by following’ was remarkable, just before coming to call this one. As from Matthew 4:18–22, the recruitment of the disciples began with Simon and Andrew, his brother.
According to the Hub Bible Commentary (2022), the remarkability of the Greek word ἑαυτῶν [heauton], which is a reflexive 3rd person masculine singular pronoun, has a suffix which renders the ownership part, meaning ‘their own’, clarifies how Jesus classified different people in accordance with their faith. The expositor’s Greek Testament of Robertson (1897–1910) articulated: ‘The dead must be taken in two senses = let the spiritually dead, not yet alive to the claims of the kingdom, bury the naturally dead’. Actually, the disciple did not ask for permission to go and dig his father’s grave immediately, but the suggestion from the Enduring Word Commentary is that all he was asking was to remain in his father’s house and care for him until his father died (Guzik 2018).
Westcott and Hort’s (1881) Greek translation of the New Testament are also in agreement with that view. In that sense, the line of separation or division between those who were called to Jesus and those who remained is drawn. It would not be undermined that according to MacArthur (1987:18), the phrase of burying the father would also be inclusive of waiting for the death as well as the distribution of inheritance, which according to the Near East was done some months after the death and burial of the father. This view might have also prompted Jesus to respond so harshly to discourage the potential disciple from eying an earthly than spiritual calling (MacArthur 1987:19).
From there, the next targets were James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. On both occasions, Jesus gave orders, and they were followed without the least resistance or excuse. It was the first time resistance was encountered from the set of two brothers, James and John. From the Aramaic language within which the response of the brothers came, there is an understanding that the two words for death and town were similar. This could mean that Jesus might have said ‘let the town bury their own dead’, implying that one must allow the community in which one lived to bury the dead. It would be a dangerous error to take Jesus’ words literally because it would be impossible for the dead to bury or do anything. This is in line with Lynne’s (2019:1) interpretation of Jesus’ words in which he says: ‘Allow the community to take care of handling your father’s death, you go and proclaim the good news of the kingdom’. In other words, it can be argued that as long as the community is still available, death was a communal affair, and they would not leave one body unburied. The most serious issue here is to engage the question of how to separate or differentiate between religion and culture. Beyers (2017:1) argues effectively that for religion to be relevant to its adherents, it must engage with culture, even though religion and culture should not be conflated. He suggests that they need to at least collaborate.
Moving forward, it will be important to ask if this would not be in conflict with what Jesus taught from Matthew 8:21–22, because not less than 35 verses in the Bible insist the importance of honouring one’s mother and father. From the Old Testament, Torah was made very popular by those who emphasised the law of honouring parents. In Exodus 20:12, it is written: ‘Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you’. In the New Testament, the continuity of the thought is shared in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Eph 6:2–3) where it reads: ‘Honour your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise’. In view of this article, it is equally important to understand the difference between honour and worship. This is one of the contestations that were used against most African people who are mostly accused of worshiping their parents and ancestors (Esoh & Kaunda 2020:4). Just like in Jewish times, Africans have also seen one’s dissociation with one’s family and parents as a great dishonour that deserves some punishment. Grebe and Fon (1997) said:
I might dissociate myself from my family and not fulfil any obligations that are expected of me as a member. Maybe I will stay away from the family without contacting them regularly, or I may refuse to make contributions to family projects such as celebrations and building projects. (p. 13)
Such are situations in which one is offending and causing disunity in the family, and elderly people will have to take steps to correct that soonest. The restoration of the unity of the family in such situations will be very costly at times (Grebe & Fon 1997:13). It should be noted that some African scholars such as Mbiti (1975:152) and Ushe (2017:175) have long refuted the notion of the intentional confusion of African ancestral worship and parental honour. Oborji (2002) also agrees with Adamo (2011) in arguing that ancestors are not to be worshipped but seen as highly respected members of the family.
It should be generally understood that the firstborn would take over what the father left upon his death, and this man seems to hold the same culture. In Jesus’ time, the children were expected to bury their fathers. Thus, the inference could also be that ‘I cannot go away, in case my father dies, so that I am around for burial’. Coffman (2005) confirms this by arguing: ‘He meant that he was not free to be a disciple until after the death of his father, but that he would be glad to follow Jesus after his father died’. In other words, it would be unreligious for one to live far away and be absent, should the father die and get buried. A good interpretation, in today’s language, would be that the firstborn would not be too far from home, until his father has died, and he has fulfilled this religious obligation. The neglect of the highest calling was in a manner of speaking compared with minor day-to-day duties. For Lynne (2019:1), James and John were working on their father’s net, and it is suggested they used to work with him in the business. Thus, if they were to follow Jesus, they would be dishonouring the Jewish culture, and it would be a serious religious offence to not bury the father and take care for the family (Lynne 2019:1). This is a religious duty versus an urgent theological imperative.
Remarkably, Jesus included the word ‘own dead’ in the phrase. This kind of relative noun indicates the classification of the dead people with the living ones who were a community there. Clarke (n.d.) added by indicating that as the transgressor was reputed a dead man, the phrase ‘their own’ could be used to refer to the fact that the physically living transgressors in that community would be better suitable people to continue with their culture of ignoring the call of Jesus because of prioritising the burial rites as compared to taking heed of the call. Barnes (n.d.) is of the opinion that obeying parents and respecting them even after death was a strong expectation. Perhaps this can be of equal importance with African people who always wish to afford their dead parents a dignified burial materially, even though they gave less support to them while still alive (Case et al. 2011). Jesus’ thought here must be read in line with what he said in Luke 14:26 which reads: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even their own life, such a person cannot be my disciple’. This kind of analogy would talk to the cost of being a disciple, which comes with physical hardships and discomfort according to Luke 9:57–58. Therefore, the proper understanding of the dead burying the dead is within the context that Jesus was addressing death in a more spiritual way than what the disciples were thinking. This would connect to Romans 6:8 which speaks about dying with Christ. This is because dying with Christ and living with him implies being a new creature and abandoning the past life while receiving the new life in Jesus. For that reason, Paul emphasised that the physical death that the disciple was referring to must be seen as a gain because it is a way through into another life (Phlp 1:21). In a situation of the verdict during his imprisonment, Paul would see that even if the outcome of the judgement would be death, it is just a door through which he will be with the Lord in heaven. The notion of being with Christ after death is the peak of the gospel for Paul and hence physical death for him is incomparable with spiritual death. The spiritual death is what Jesus referred to when calling for the disciple to overcome cultural barriers that would bind him to take the eternal calling of following Jesus. As much as Jesus also attended funerals, his followers were not stopped from attending funerals, as long as the dead were there to be buried. The difference is when we want to excuse the invitation by using an upcoming or waited funeral, which is not yet known when it will happen. Above all, the main issue is not only about funerals, but about getting one’s priorities right when wanting to be a disciple.
Some pastoral interventions and advice
Besides the fact that there are many different religions across the world, African people are known for having religion as their fundamental and most important aspect of their lives (Mqunyana 2023:33). It is believed in many corners that whether the deceased was practising Christian religion or not, when he or she dies, the church where some of the family members or relatives attend will be informed for their support (Mqunyana 2023:34). It is for that reason Mbiti (1991:1) asserted that African people would take their religion wherever they go. The fear of death is managed, among other things, by the presence of religion. The fact that death is one of the beginnings of eternity as indicated by Arima and Baloyi (2023:7), it demands pastors – who are normally spiritual leaders of their congregants – to make this assertion during the funeral, to give hope to the bereaved. They went on to argue:
At funerals, the church encourages prayer for the soul of the deceased and their family members. A funeral is often for the church a moment of being in solidarity with the deceased. (Arima & Baloyi 2023:11)
The biblical notion of preaching the good news to the poor cannot be exclusive of attending the bereaved and the weak. In his book, Redeeming the bereaved, Houck (2010:4) clearly indicates that the intense spiritual pain that is inflicted upon the bereaved people, whether Christians or non-Christians, demands the pastoral redemption. It should be a pastoral concern of every pastor to accompany and visit the bereaved family, as well as journeying with them through their pain and loss. McEvoy (1983) said:
It is my experience that the priest can play a vital role in helping the bereaved during the course of their mourning and their grieving, that people are open to deeper experiences of life, and of faith in the cross and the resurrection, when they have just lost someone close to them, that they welcome the priest’s ministration and counsel then, as perhaps never before, and that the priest who rises to the continuing challenge placed before him by the bereaved of his parish is blessed in and through helping those who mourn. (p. 1)
One of the fathers of black theology, Cone (1997), wrote one of his famous works called, God of the oppressed. Even though he was writing from American black experience, it should be noted that oppression of people’s lives comes from different directions, including the loss of their beloved ones. Pastoral caregivers should note that those are not only opportunities to mourn with the mourners, but also to use their God-given task to uplift the spirits of those who are hopeless because of death. In their book entitled, Jesus and the hope of the poor, Schottroff and Stegnann (1978:vii) argue for God’s partisanship with the wretched and bereaved as he takes sides while seeking peace and justice. Compassion is one of the elements of life showed and taught by Jesus. From the perspective of the African widowhood when a woman lost her husband, the importance of the church is also to ensure that some cultural challenges which usually add more pain to the bereaved woman can be averted. Choabi (2016) wrote a balanced document in arguing for the African Christian widow against some of the cultural practices that negatively influence the grieving process from a Christian perspective. This can only happen when Christian fellowship of the women make their presence felt during the death and burial processes. In her research, ‘Funerals of unaffiliated’, Garces-Foley (2003) shows the difficulties that are experienced by the bereaved families which lack the clergy or religious person or pastor to guide them in planning a funeral; hence, most even go to an extent of paying pastors for services during death in South Africa. One of the authors of this article was present when in one death, the family asked for a local pastor whom they had to pay for the funeral services because no family member belonged to any church there. While Asamoah and Amankwah (2022) recommend that in order to mitigate the traditional negative effects of death and dying by continuously attending to the funeral celebration of all their members, Nketia (2010) emphatically indicates that a funeral is a tragic incident that requires the support of everyone, church members and leaders included.
In his thesis, ‘Communal pastoral counselling, culturally gifted care-giving in times of family pain: A Vhavenda perspective’, the late Phaswana (2008) suggested a very contextual theory that can be used for church caring for its members in times of challenges, for example, during death. In his thesis statement, ‘kha ri vangulane’ (in Venda, which means, let us remove the thorns that stabbed us from each other) is just speaking to African communalism which promotes ubuntu and caring for each other in a more African way. Attending and assisting at funerals by other Christians is merely a sign of love and care for each other, which build Christian relationships (Phaswana 2008:44). This approach is generally supported by some scholars, for instance, Mee (2012), Mouton (2014) and Adamo (2011).
With regard to a holistic approach to pastoral care, Vhumani Magezi is of the opinion that we need to develop a holistic kind of pastoral care and counselling from an African perspective or origin. This is because for the longest period, Africans have been adopting and trying to use the irrelevant Western missionary kind of planted pastoral counselling. Now that the African Independent Churches and Pentecostalism are mushrooming, there is a need to adjust and fit into the context (Magezi 2019:7–8). The above-stated two approaches are not in conflict but are overlapping and supporting each other.
Evaluation and final synopsis
Death and burial rites are conducted and practised within particular cultural frameworks throughout the world. Some differences, diversities and similarities might have been observed between some cultures, but the essence remains that death would invite few or many people together as they prepare to make a final send-off for their loved ones. This has been a practice even during the times of Jesus Christ as we read that within the Jewish tradition, it would take some mourners a few weeks to leave the home or house where death has occurred. A good example is that of Mary and Martha, the sisters to Lazarus, where they were continuing their mourning sessions 4 days after their brother’s burial when Jesus came. That is why Martha, the deceased’s sister, told Jesus, ‘He has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible’ (Jn 11:39).
Now the issue of the coming together of mourners was determined by the situation, context and traditions of the family concerned. This confirms that people were not barred from coming to mourn together. Because there was also no evidence that the father of the said disciple is already dead, there is no evidence that by the time he died, Jesus would bar him from coming to bury his father. It was a question of doing what the call was inviting him for as long as the father would still be alive while in the meantime, not undermining the fact that should he die when they are far, not able to come home, the community would be available to bury him. This kind of argument should be understood in the context of also not avoiding comparison as to how those without sons were buried when they died, meaning, the community took over and buried them. But Jesus was using this as an eye opener for the disciple to be able to choose between what is temporary and what is eternal. Waiting for his father’s death and burial while a divine calling was at a halt would also be a counter waste of time that is needed to save other lives.
Therefore, from the foregoing discussion, the question of whether Jesus’ statement can be used to argue that he was barring people from attending or participating in funerals is out of question. This would be in contradiction to the message in Romans 12: 15, which says, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn’. This is a very balanced pastoral principle because pastoral care is always needed, to accompany people in every situation of their life:
The pastor’s work includes mediating this corporate ministry and being willing himself/herself to respond to people’s search for assistance and guidance, struggles for answers to life’s turmoil, and need for celebration in times of joy. (Wimberly 2015:55)
Gidado (2019:79) posits that pastoral care is essential for teaching, guidance and counselling in every aspect of human life. It is necessary in moments of joy such as celebration of a new marriage and childbirth, as well as in times of crisis of suffering, sickness and death. Because the context indicates that this person was not dead at the time, it can be assumed that Jesus was dealing with a disciple who was making an excuse, and the response should be interpreted in a more spiritual sense – to say that you cannot wait for your father’s death, while the work of the Gospel demands your presence. This is because if their father was indeed dead, they would not be fishing during the mourning period, because Jewish customs would not allow them to be out while their father’s body was lying dead in the house. People do not only die of sickness, but also unexpectedly, but here there is no indication that the father of the disciple was sick or unhealthy.
If it must be understood well, Jesus was turning a cultural quibble into a spiritual dilemma which most people who are held by both being Christian and being cultural are faced with. This is more or less similar to what he said to the Pharisees who brought an adulterous woman for judgement, leaving the man with whom she was committing the sin. It was in John 8 where he, instead of making a judgement, asked that anyone who is sinless must be the first to cast a stone. This kind of response always brings one to think deeply about one’s judgement towards things of God. Without mentioning anything about whether the culture of burying the dead is good or bad, he instead went on to give him food for thought so that even the outcome of the decision would be his. Because no one would like to be labelled as dead, then the called person would decide either to go and accept to be part of the dead or rise up and follow the living Jesus Christ.
Coming back to Africa, loss and grief because of death have always affected invited people from different walks of life and have always been accompanied by religious participation. Breen and O’Connor (2007:206) are in agreement with Mayers and Hillary (2017:424) that although different theories of mourning and grieving had been introduced, the situation in South Africa and Africa in general used funerals to invest and reinvest into their relationship by communalism. This kind of practice was also common in the ancient Middle East, even during the times of Jesus Christ. That is why the words ‘let the dead bury the dead’ were pluralised to indicate that people were allowed to go to funerals. In this case, the theories of grief become useful. Theories of grief and mourning help those in the pastoral ministry to understand the stages one goes through in the grieving process in order to be able to assist with care and counselling. The theories help the pastoral caregiver to give support and make referrals where necessary to mitigate against the physical and psychological impact of grief in times of bereavement (Mayers & Hillary 2017:425).
Conclusion
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he interacted with people dealing with death and burying their loved ones. The excuse made by a discipline was an unusual one because there was no funeral or someone dead at the time. This is a cultural issue versus a religious issue; hence, Jesus’ response went straight to addressing the issue of faith rather than traditions. Some of the findings of this article are that mourning had been a continuous practice within the family and the community where one departed. Jesus’ statement under discussion may have sounded harsh to those who lacked some contextual background as to the priority that He used to emphasise between calling the people to the service of the Lord and making excuses that did not bring any difference. The argument of Jesus must be understood not against the background of someone who already died, because there was no evidence that the disciple’s father already died, but it was an excuse for him to stay home until the father died and to start the process of burial. The reality of death is a challenge in African culture and the burial of a loved one is an honourable thing. Although Jesus was not addressing the physical burial of a dead parent, the encounter leaves us with thoughts of how to handle death and following Christian faith. It also raises the question of pastoral interventions during bereavement, which were suggested in this article focussing on a holistic approach to pastoral care in an African context.
Acknowledgements
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors’ contributions
R.H. was responsible for the formal analysis, the writing of the article and providing resources. E.M.B. was responsible for the conceptualisation, methodology and formal analysis.
Funding information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Data availability
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. The article does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.
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