{And bury my father} (kai thapsai ton patera mou). The
first man was an enthusiast. This one is overcautious. It is by
no means certain that the father was dead. Tobit urged his son
Tobias to be sure to bury him: "Son, when I am dead, bury me"
(Tobit 4:3). The probability is that this disciple means that,
after his father is dead and buried, he will then be free to
follow Jesus. "At the present day, an Oriental, with his father
sitting by his side, has been known to say respecting his future
projects: 'But I must first bury my father!'" (Plummer). Jesus
wanted first things first. But even if his father was not
actually dead, service to Christ comes first.