"What does it mean when Jesus says ...?"

People ask me this question all the time, and I've just recently learned how to help them answer the question for themselves.

Here is a good illustration: "Another of the disciples said to him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.'" (Mt 8:20-21 ESV).

When people ask, "What does it mean when Jesus says to let the dead bury themselves?" we should use questions to help them answer it for themselves

Ask your students questions like:
a) Did Jesus care for the feelings of others?
b) Did Jesus mourn for the dead?
c) Did Jesus empathize with the cares and concerns of other people?

The answer to all three is YES! We all know Jesus was in tears to see his friends mourning Lazarus' death. Now we say, "If we know that Jesus does care about these things, why would he say this in Matthew 8:21?" The student will soon come to the realization: "He must have been teaching a lesson!"

"Now," we reply, "what do you think is the lesson in this story?"