Explanation of a saying of Jesus

Luke 9: 59-60

And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "[Lord,] let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

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While Jesus is speaking literally he is also speaking literal spiritual truth, not literal physical truth. I am amazed how people today, many of whom have literature degrees and so forth, cannot understand the difference between spiritual truth and physical truth, and thus misunderstand even the simplest saying of Jesus.

First of all, obviously Jesus is not saying dead zombies ought to bury their own dead LOL. And he is also not being "mean" and saying that the young man should not mourn or do right ritual for his father, though he is saying that when salvation knocks on the door, someone else has to perform those rituals in your stead. He is also not saying that people's salvation is timed either pro and con with the death of their fathers, so people should not read into this statement some airy fairy philosophy about fathers and sons. What he is saying is that those who follow him NOW when he was there and issuing the invitation are those that are alive and will live. Those who did not follow him are by default considered "dead" and not alive. Now he is not saying that those who had not yet heard his word are dead and with no hope, like this in-the-process-of-being-called disciple's family and village are being spiritually described at that moment in time. Jesus is saying though that you must accept the invitation to life the moment that you receive it, because then you are leaving the status of being dead in spirit that the others are still in. So Jesus was explaining that the physically dead father will be buried by the as yet spiritually dead relatives and villagers, while the young man he invites to follow him NOW is alive. This is the meaning of this famous saying of Jesus.