Let the dead bury their dead
Here’s what it means
Those spiritually unresponsive can handle ordinary affairs, while the called disciple must give priority to proclaiming God’s kingdom.
Why the Bible says it this way
The writer uses a picture to explain one thing by describing it as another.
A helpful detail: The first “dead” refers to the physically dead; the second likely describes people outside the urgent call to follow. The saying presses priority, not contempt for burial.