Matthew 12:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this context, they do not exhibit overt violence. Although they are capable of being aggressive, their annoyance is minimal, and they accuse in a straightforward manner. However, when the Lord instructed the man with the withered hand to stretch it out and restored it, their fury erupted, leading them to plot His destruction and death. They remain mute in the face of trivial matters, yet when they witness the salvation of a soul, they become hardened, outraged, and filled with rage. The salvation of humanity is repugnant to them.

In places void of great and noble deeds, there is tranquility; yet where they observe the salvation of some, their hostility intensifies more than anyone else’s. They oppose human salvation and lack understanding of the sacred scriptures. If the New Covenant announced by Jeremiah differs from the former one, then indeed it is the new commandments, not the old, that should be followed.

It should be noted that the action which seemed unlawful to the Jews was the disciples gathering grain on the Sabbath. An instance of this is seen in the actions of David, who, exercising his royal authority, provided a precedent; another comes from the priests who, in performing their duties in the temple, transgress the Sabbath. However, these examples are less relevant to the specific act of gathering grain on the Sabbath. The one who embodies both the true King and the true Priest holds the title of Lord of the Sabbath.

‘Look, your disciples are doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath.’ Initially, the Lord provided them with instruction and made them just through the truth to prevent them from being unduly astonished when He fulfilled the law through the completeness of His teaching. His Father rendered it obsolete to demonstrate that the creation of the world, the administration, and the observance of the law belonged to Him. This act confirmed that the law was a remedy for those suffering from spiritual ailments, from head to toe, as the true healer offered healing to those in distress. *Isaiah 1:6: ‘From the sole of the foot to the pubis of the head, there is no healthy place in Israel.’

It is important to observe that the apostles of the Savior were the first to dismantle the letter of the law, which stands in contrast to the views of the Ebionites who deem Paul a violator of the law, while they accept the other apostles.

In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded that a question was posed to the disciples regarding their actions on the Sabbath, asking what they were doing that was deemed unworthy. Both Jesus and His followers encountered similar criticism from these bothersome individuals. The Gospel of Matthew highlights the condemnation directed at Christ, while Luke focuses on the disciples. Frequently, you will observe parallels in their experiences. The accusers condemned the disciples not for what they consumed but for the act of plucking, which they considered as work.

Upon witnessing this, the Pharisees taunted him, saying, "Look, your followers are engaging in activities that are not permissible on the Sabbath. How is this allowed?" This same accusation was directed at the Lord's disciples, as recounted by the Evangelist Luke. The Mosaic Law prohibited all but the most essential tasks on the Sabbath, yet the Jewish teachers of the law enforced such stringent regulations that they deemed even commendable deeds as infringements upon the sanctity of the day. Under their interpretation, gathering grains was likened to harvesting, rubbing the grains in hands was compared to threshing, and they prescribed stoning for such acts on the Sabbath. They could not fathom that these audacious Galileans, alongside their Teacher, could endure even a few hours of hunger until the cessation of the Sabbath rested upon them.

Jesus' return to Galilee did not prolong His stay in Jerusalem. Luke the evangelist records that on the first Saturday following the second day of Passover, He passed through grain fields. Whether He was on His way back to Galilee or had already arrived remains unclear, yet what is vital for our understanding is Luke's note that this event took place on the first Saturday of the second day of the Passover. The Jewish festival of Passover was observed on the 14th day of the first lunar month of spring, Nisan, regardless of the day of the week. On the evening of the 14th of Nisan, the Passover meal was consumed, and the second day marked the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted for seven days. This feast coincided with the harvest season.

The vigilant adversaries quickly exploited this latest incident of Sabbath violation with malicious delight. The esteemed rabbis equated the act of plucking grain with harvesting, and the handling of it with threshing, deeming such activities worthy of punishment by stoning. For them, this was a grave transgression. Historical accounts reveal that devout Jews have chosen to face starvation rather than desecrate the Sabbath. There is a notable case of a Jewish shipmaster who, despite threats to his life, steadfastly refused to steer the vessel during a violent storm once the sun had set and the Sabbath began. Yet these unfortunate Galileans and their Teacher could not endure a few hours of hunger and audaciously disregarded the sacredness of the Sabbath! Seizing this moment, the Pharisees quickly encircled the Savior, pointing with triumph at the disciples, saying, "Look at what they are doing," with a derisive gesture towards the followers, "doing on the Sabbath what they should not!"

The command concerning the Sabbath states that Moses instructed six days of work, prohibiting ordinary activities on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, except for those that are absolutely necessary (Exodus 20:10, Exodus 35:2-3, Numbers 15:32-36). Additionally, the traditions established by the elders placed further restrictions on Sabbath observance, sometimes even restricting acts of charity and devotion. Nevertheless, the Pharisees, who opposed the Savior, appeared to intensify the strictness of the Sabbath laws, particularly regarding Him and His followers; in their own practices, they likely showed more leniency (cf. Matt. 12:11).