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Not all prospective followers of Jesus were aware of the nature of discipleship. He used harsh words to make the issue plain. They would be following a leader who spent nights without a place to sleep. Loyalty to him must take priority over the burial of family. Indeed burying the dead was a task fit for the spiritually dead. And while Elijah allowed Elisha to visit his parents at home (1Ki 19:19-21), Jesus even excluded that possibility. It has been questioned whether Jesus intended his words to be taken literally. But he was certainly affirming the precedence of his right to obedience over all other claims.