Matthew 12:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this passage, He offers a fresh interpretation of the Sabbath observance. Initially, He uses David as a model to humble their pride through the noble example of his actions. After addressing their arrogance, He confronts the Sabbath dispute with greater clarity. How does He do this? Do you not know that the priests in the temple... violate the Sabbath yet remain innocent (Matt. 12:5)? He points out that a known context allows for the Sabbath to be breached, whereas the situation at hand involves disregard for such context. His approach does not settle the issue in a straightforward manner; rather, He first presents the Sabbath breach as justifiable before affirming its righteousness. Although the initial argument holds weight, stronger evidence needs to be provided.

The commandments prohibited labor on the Sabbath, yet the priests were gathering wood and kindling fire during this sacred time, thus profaning the Sabbath — a perplexing act, as one might observe.

It must be acknowledged that the act of the disciples harvesting grain on the Sabbath would have seemed to the Jews to be a violation of the law. An instance of such a violation can be found in the royal prerogative of David, and another is evident in the actions of the priests who, by their duties in the temple, transgress the Sabbath. However, these examples are less related to the specific offense of gathering grain on the Sabbath than to the One who embodies the true authority as both King and Priest, and who is, in fact, the Lord of the Sabbath.

When they remained unenlightened by this, He confronted them plainly regarding their deeds, stating, ‘The priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are blameless.’

He states, ‘You criticize my followers for plucking grain as they walk through the fields due to their hunger, yet you disregard the Sabbath by conducting sacrifices, slaughtering cattle, and offering burnt offerings upon the altars. According to the clear account in the other Gospel, John 7:22, you perform circumcisions on the Sabbath, whereby in your efforts to uphold one law, you contravene another. However, the laws of God are always consistent and harmonious. When His followers could have been chastised for their actions, He astutely highlights that they were emulating the conduct of David and Ahimelech, revealing the hypocrisy of those who denounced His disciples for a supposed Sabbath infraction that was, in reality, unnecessary.’

He frequently remarks, "Do not read," criticizing their futile efforts since they lack comprehension of the text. There existed a command forbidding work on the Sabbath; conversely, there was also a directive for the priests to perform sacrifices on that same day, which required them to gather wood, ignite fire, prepare meat, and engage in various related activities. While they regularly observed these duties, they ultimately desecrated the Sabbath; however, since their actions were sacred, they were not held accountable. Christ referenced the story of David, deeming the disciples deserving of pardon, as previously mentioned; the current illustration emphasizes clearly that they were indeed innocent.

The female ministers within the church desecrate the sacred rest days and bear responsibility for it. On the Sabbath, all forms of labor are prohibited; yet they gather wood, ignite fires, and prepare the offerings by dividing them. These actions, while not allowed for ordinary tasks within the community, are necessary for the sacrifices and are thus not prohibited, but rather mandated by the law itself. This explains why the Sabbath is violated through this labor, and the ministers are blameless, as their actions serve a divine purpose.

By demonstrating the folly of the Pharisees through this example, the Lord clarified the meaning of the Sabbath law: "OR DID YOU NOT READ" - indeed, you have, yet you have chosen not to grasp the true essence of what is stated in the law. It notes that on the Sabbath, the priests within the Temple, if you evaluate the Sabbath rest, transgress the Sabbath, and despite this, they are not condemned but rather deemed innocent. They offer sacrificial animals on the Sabbath; they skin these animals, slice them into pieces, and burn them in the fire. These actions, which in your view should be viewed as violations of the Sabbath rest, are occurring in the holy sanctuary of God and carried out not by laypersons but by priests, whom no one criticizes.

The Pharisees misinterpreted this law, believing it imposed an absolute ban on all activities. Jesus clarified this misunderstanding by referencing the priests, who, while serving in the temple on the Sabbath, carry out holy rituals and offerings. They slaughter sacrificial animals, prepare them for the altar, and burn them, yet they do not incur guilt for violating the Sabbath observance.

If the Rabbis had concluded that the temple is not bound by the Sabbath, allowing priests to engage in activities such as cutting wood, lighting fires, preparing freshly baked loaves of offering, and performing sacrificial rites, along with the circumcision of children—activities that entirely contravened the Sabbath laws they had established and rigorously upheld, yet sanctioned by the very law (Num. 26:9)—then, if the Sabbath could be set aside for the temple's sake, how much more so for the one who surpasses the temple?

Have they not considered what is stated in the law? Numbers 28:9 explains that the term 'violate' (or more accurately, to 'defile') pertains not to the law itself but to Jewish interpretations that suggest any form of work on the Sabbath desecrates the day of rest. Even on the Sabbath, the priests are required to present sacrifices to God at the temple, which includes the offering of two lambs in addition to the daily offerings. They must slaughter, skin, and prepare these animals for sacrifice and burn them, despite the law explicitly prohibiting the ignition of fire on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3). This activity occurs within the temple, where the observance of the law is upheld with strictness compared to other locations.

Regarding the Sabbath, Jesus Christ posed a question, stating that it is written in the law that the priests in the Temple desecrate the Sabbath and incur guilt. However, I declare to you that the Temple is no longer present here. The law prohibited lighting a fire in homes on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3), yet it simultaneously instructed that on this day, alongside the daily sacrifices, two lambs should be offered (Numbers 28:9). In fulfilling this, the priests were tasked with slaughtering the sacrificial animals, preparing their skins, cutting them into pieces, and consuming them with flames—actions that may seem contradictory to the Sabbath rest. Nonetheless, these acts were not considered offense since they were performed in the tabernacle and temple by divine decree.