NOTES for Mat 12:1-21
1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. |
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. |
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; |
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? |
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? |
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. |
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. |
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. |
9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: |
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. |
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? |
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. |
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. |
14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. |
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; |
16 And charged them that they should not make him known: |
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, |
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. |
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. |
20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. |
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. |
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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.
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Readings for 23 April 2026
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