THE LIFE OF CHRIST PART 18 Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"

He who reaps on the Sabbath is chargeable and to pluck ears is a species of reaping. And whoever breaks off anything from its stalk is chargeable under the specifications of reaping. The deeds which make a man chargeable are either generic or derivative. Thirty-nine kinds of the generic are enumerated; to plow, to sow, to reap, to bind sheaves, to thresh, to winnow, to grind, to pound, to powder, etc., to shear sheep, to dye wool, etc., and derivatives are of the same class and likeness: furrowing; plowing; cutting up vegetables; grinding; plucking ears; reaping (The Interpretation of Saint Matthew’s Gospel p.461).

Matthew 12:3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: are blameless? 6 4 "how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and "Yet I say to you that in this place there is

One

greater than the temple. if you had known what

this

mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. Lord even of the Sabbath." 8 means, 'I desire 7 "But "For the Son of Man is

1 Samuel 21:1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, "Why you alone, and no one is with you?" said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, 'Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.' And I have directed and such a place. 3 you on hand? Give "Now therefore, what have

me my

five young men to such

loaves of

hand, or whatever can be found." 2

are

So David bread in my

4 And the priest answered David and said, "

There is

no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women." women day." 6

have been

men are holy, and order to put hot bread 5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young

the bread is

in effect common, even though it was sanctified in the vessel this So the priest gave him holy

in its place bread;

for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the LORD, in on the day when it was taken away.

Proverbs 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.

Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Leviticus 24:9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, by a perpetual statute."

Mark 2:25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 "how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"

If Christians may violate the law when its observance would involve hardship or suffering, then there is an end to suffering for the name of Christ, and an end, even, of self-denial.

5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is greater than the temple. 7 what

this

sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. means, 'I desire mercy and not 8

One

"But if you had known "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Micah 6:6 With what shall I come before the LORD,

And

bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn

for

my transgression, The fruit of my body

for

the sin of my soul? has shown you, O man, what

is

8 He good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Deuteronomy 23:25 "When you come into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor's standing grain.

The entire exposition regarding the Sabbath is given by Jesus as the Lord who has instituted the Sabbath, who thus knows what the Sabbath law involves. The emphasis is on “kurios” [the Greek Word for Lord] but this does not imply that as Lord of Sabbath Jesus can disregard the Sabbath, set it aside, do what He may please with it. As Lord of the Sabbath, who instituted it, He upholds it, He will tolerate no Pharisaical interferences with its true purpose. It is thus that Jesus protects His disciples against the charge that they are violating the Sabbath.

As Lord of the Sabbath, He would be the first to condemn every violation. As Lord of the Sabbath, He is now condemning the Pharisees’ perversion of the Sabbath. “Lord of the Sabbath” has the same meaning as “something greater than the Temple.” Sabbath and Temple go together, Jesus maintains both and rids both of Jewish perversion (The Interpretation of Saint Matthew’s Gospel p.466).

Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6, and Luke 6:6-11

Matthew 12:9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. Him. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse

Mark 3:4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift

it

out? 12 "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Mark 3:5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched was restored as whole as the other. Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

it

out, and his hand 6 Then the

Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew

it,

withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 He Yet He warned them not to make Him known, might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah 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 will declare justice to the Gentiles. quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 19 17 that it He will not And in His name Gentiles will trust."