In today's reading, the evangelist Matthew applies to Jesus of Nazareth one of the Old Testament's most remarkable prophecies about the Messiah: Deutero-Isaiah's words about the Servant of the Lord, who “shall not break a bruised reed.” This prophecy was spoken in the second half of the sixth century BC, when the first caravans of returnees were coming back from Babylon to Jerusalem to revive life among the ruins of the House of the Lord. The Lord reveals to the prophet that His Servant will bring people salvation without violence. Several years later, the Lord will say something very similar to the prophet Zechariah: salvation will come “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.”

For the evangelist Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for Jews, it is important to let the reader see that Jesus of Nazareth is the One who is truly meek, and that this prophecy was fulfilled precisely in Him. It matters to the evangelist that Christ carries out His saving ministry by proclaiming the word of truth—“showing judgment to the nations,” as Deutero-Isaiah puts it. The evangelist applies the words about the Messiah's meekness directly to the moment when the Lord Jesus “charged them that they should not make Him known.” By quoting the prophecy in full, Matthew also applies it to the events he will relate next. In the logic of this passage, “till He send forth judgment unto victory” is a prophecy of the Cross, while the words “in His name shall the Gentiles trust” are fulfilled in the Church that embraces the whole world.

The scribes' accusations against Jesus are very serious: He is profaning the Sabbath, He is doing what must not be done, and "must not" in the highest, sacred sense - this is a violation of a divine commandment. Christ does not justify Himself; instead, He reminds them that King David once also did what was not permitted, and that even now the priests profane the Sabbath, and this profanation took place and still takes place in the Temple itself! Jesus deliberately uses such words, though He could have spoken more mildly. And if those violations seem forgivable to the scribes, what will they say if the One who is here is greater than David, greater than the priests, and greater than the Temple?

Christ shows them His divine-human freedom to do good on the Sabbath, the sacred day of God's perfection. The prohibition exists only so that human freedom will not be turned toward evil, toward destruction and death. This means that Jesus' actions announce that standing before them is the One who is incapable of evil: the Lord of the Sabbath.

On the holy day of the Sabbath, the law permits no work. This day belongs to God. On the Sabbath a devout Jew must attend the synagogue and listen there to the Torah, the Law, God's revelation given to Israel, or read it himself. The only ones who must practice their professional work on that day are the priests and Levites in the Temple, because they do not work for themselves but perform service to God: they circumcise and offer sacrifices. This is precisely the argument Christ gives the Pharisees in the Gospel of Matthew. For He is the One greater than the Temple. His whole life is continuous worship, the fulfillment of the Father's will. He does His will always, including on the Sabbath, just as the daily sacrifice in the Temple must not be interrupted for the Sabbath.

The same applies to us: through faith in Christ we become a "royal priesthood." Our whole life is transformed into service to God, carried out on Saturday and Sunday and at every moment of time. All our deeds must be dedicated to the Lord, and every thought or word of ours must be a pleasing sacrifice to God, one that does not cease for even an instant.