Matthew 12:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He urges them through this illustration to abandon their lack of shame and to refrain from accusing Him of wrongdoing once more. Notice how Christ consistently defends His actions regarding the Sabbath in a respectful and different manner. When He restored sight to the blind man, He did not speak in His own defense, even though He was still facing accusations, as the very nature of the miracle itself clearly demonstrated His authority over the law. However, when He healed the paralytic man who was carrying his mat, He vindicates Himself as both God and man. He justifies His humanity by stating, "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law may not be broken, why are you angry with Me because I have made every person whole?" (John 7:23).

In this scenario, both display greed, harshness, and a disregard for God, as they prioritize the loss of a sheep over the observance of the Sabbath and show no compassion when they refuse to acknowledge the condemnation of others.

He addresses the query in such a way that He charges the inquirers with greed. He states that if you are quick to rescue your sheep or any creature that has fallen into a pit on the Sabbath, driven by your own selfishness rather than concern for the animal, how much more should I rescue a person who is far more valuable than a mere sheep?

When they indicated their agreement through their silence, knowing that the law allowed what He requested and thereby leaving them without grounds to dispute, He clarified that a person has far greater worth than a sheep. With this example concerning the sheep, He addressed the question He had posed to them. Both Mark and Luke recount that He placed a man before them and inquired whether it was permissible to do good or evil on the Sabbath. After they responded, He positioned the man in their midst to soften their hard hearts through his suffering countenance, aiming to encourage them to discard jealousy and recognize the goodness of healing those in distress. Subsequently, He presented them with an unanswerable question.

What does the Gospel convey regarding the flexibility of the Sabbath or Lord's Day observance? Consider a scenario where one of you has a solitary sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath. Would you not go to rescue it? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep? Therefore, the Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. Thus, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). From these teachings, two principles can be established. First, necessary tasks may be performed on the Lord's Day. Second, acts of compassion and charity are fitting for this day. Consequently, it follows that both the Gospel and the ancient law prohibit activities on the Lord's Day that lack urgent necessity or moral significance.

"It is permissible to perform good works on the Sabbath." The Lord proclaimed this after healing the man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath, addressing the Pharisees who had turned the commandment of Sabbath rest into a rigid code, even counting the steps they could take. They preferred to abstain from good actions rather than permit any movement that seemed unnecessary. The Savior chastised them repeatedly for their rigid interpretations, emphasizing that the Sabbath was intended for rest from earthly matters, not from acts of devotion and love for others. In Christianity, Sunday serves a similar function as the Sabbath, meant for ceasing from secular pursuits and dedicating the day solely to God's work.

Consider how much GREATER is humanity, crafted in the likeness of God, compared to a mute sheep! How can you stand unashamed in your pretense before Me? Here is My response to your sinful inquiry: IT IS POSSIBLE TO PERFORM GOOD WORKS ON THE SABBATH; it is both sinful and reckless to delay an act of kindness until a later time, although you certainly do not truly doubt this, you merely feign ignorance! Witnessing this deceit and the emptiness of Pharisaic ethics, the compassionate heart of the gentle and merciful Lord Jesus was filled with righteous anger, alongside profound sorrow for the hardness of the hearts of those who fancied themselves righteous, like whitewashed tombs.

On another Sabbath, Jesus Christ was teaching in a synagogue. Present there was a man with a withered right hand. The scribes and Pharisees were closely observing Him, eager to see if He would violate the Sabbath by healing the afflicted man. Not only did they keep silent watch, but, as Matthew notes, they presented Him with a provocative question to test Him. The Lord called the man with the withered hand to stand before them, and then questioned the Pharisees, “Which of you, having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lift it out (Mt.)? Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil?

If a sheep can be lifted from a pit on the Sabbath, then certainly a human being holds greater value than a sheep. Is it not permissible to rescue a person on the Sabbath? This illustrates that when good works are required, it is indeed appropriate to perform acts of kindness on the Sabbath.

To further illustrate to the Pharisees the unfounded nature of their hostility towards so-called violators of the Sabbath, the Savior seized upon an opportunity that arose in the synagogue of a nearby town on that very day. Within the synagogue was a man, described as a laborer, who had suffered an accident that left his hand withered. He implored Christ for healing, seeking relief from the painful necessity of relying on alms. His presence and intent were widely recognized, and in response, the prominent seats were filled by the scribes and Pharisees, their malicious gazes fixed on Christ as they awaited His actions, intending to find grounds for accusation against Him.

“It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” The Pharisees must have been aware of this; however, the influence of entrenched beliefs, customs, and traditions can lead individuals to condemn actions that are evidently good in theory when they are actually performed. The Lord admonishes this kind of hypocrisy.

A negative response to this inquiry could have led to accusations against Jesus Christ of being unkind, while a positive response might have resulted in claims that He was violating the Sabbath. Consequently, without addressing those questioning Him, the Lord addressed the man with a withered hand, saying, “Arise and stand in the midst,” and “called him to the center, to soften their hearts through his presence, hoping they would be moved and abandon their spite” (St John Chrysostom). He then posed the question: I ask you, what is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it? His adversaries, ensnared by their own arguments, remained silent.