Matthew 12:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why then did He lead them through the corn fields on the sabbath, seeing He knew all things, unless He desired to break the sabbath? This he desired indeed, but not absolutely, therefore He broke it not without cause, but furnished a sufficient reason; so that He both caused the Law to cease, and yet offended not against it. Thus in order to soften the Jews, He here introduces a natural necessity; this is what is said, And his disciples being an hungred, began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. Although in things which are manifestly sinful, there can be no excuse, he who kills another cannot plead rage, nor he who commits adultery, lust, or any other cause; yet here saying that the disciples were hungry, He delivers them from all accusation.

Additionally, I, the Son of Man, hold dominion over the Sabbath, as well as over all creation; thus, as its Sovereign, I do not adhere to Sabbath restrictions. It is crucial to interpret this in a metaphorical context: the apostles worked as laborers; the harvest and the grains represent the faithful; the apostles gathered and consumed them, meaning that through their ministry, they brought salvation to people. They performed these actions on the Sabbath, a time designated for refraining from wicked deeds. Yet, the Pharisees were filled with anger. This scenario is mirrored within the church. Although the leaders frequently teach and provide guidance, the Pharisees and the envious often express their discontent.

This which here follows is related both by Mark and Luke, without any question of discrepancy; indeed they do not say, At that time, so that Matthew has here perhaps preserved the order of time, they that of their recollection; unless we take the words in a wider sense, At that time, that is, the time in which these many and divers things were done, whence we may conceive that all these things happened after the death of John. For he is believed to have been beheaded a little after he sent his disciples to Christ. So that when he says at that time, he may mean only an indefinite time.

As we read in another Evangelist, they had no opportunity of taking food because of the thronging of the multitude, and therefore they hungred as men. That they rub the ears of corn in their hands, and with them satisfy themselves, is a proof of an austere life, and of men who needed not prepared meats, but sought only simple food.

Once again, He makes His divine nature known. At times, He veils it before the eyes of those who are perpetually discontent, while at other moments, He makes it more manifest for those with sharper discernment. He asserts that He who took on human form is also the Sovereign of the Sabbath, as the Creator and Lawgiver. If I, the Sovereign, am present here and endure it, your condemnation of my disciples is in vain. In the Gospel according to Mark (Mark 2:27), Christ provides further justification: the Sabbath was established for the benefit of humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. This signifies that the rest of the Sabbath is intended for human benefit, not the other way around; indeed, the Sabbath and all preceding days were designed for the flourishing of mankind.

Figuratively; First consider that this discourse was held at that time, namely, when He had given thanks to the Father for giving salvation to the Gentiles. The field is the world, the sabbath is rest, the corn the ripening of them that believe for the harvest; thus His passing through the corn field on the sabbath, is the coming of the Lord into the world in the rest of the Law; the hunger of the disciples is their desire for the salvation of men.

They pluck the ears of corn when they withdraw men from devotion to the world; they rub them in their hands when they tear away their hearts from the lusts of the flesh; they eat the grain when they transfer such as are amended into the body of the Church.

He calls Himself the Son of Man, and the meaning is, He whom ye suppose a mere man is God, the Lord of all creatures, and also of the sabbath, and He has therefore power to change the law after His pleasure, because He made it.

He who surpasses the Church, the one who came to replace the shadows of the Old Testament with the reality of truth as the Creator of the Law, rightfully does not compel His disciples to adhere strictly to the written Law or to the customs of men; indeed, the SON OF MAN IS LORD of the Sabbath. Having the authority to interpret the Sabbath law—as no one is more qualified to do so than the Lawgiver Himself—He brings renewal to it. As St. Philaret of Moscow observes, do not assume that the Lord, who established the Sabbath, annulled it or permitted it to be disregarded. He declared that He did not come "to break the law... but to fulfill it" (Matthew 5:17).

In the following two Sabbaths, the significance of the Sabbath and the sanctity of its rest, which had been inadequately understood during the recent disputes raised by the Pharisees, were explored in greater depth and clarified more definitively. First, this occurred when the Lord’s disciples were traveling from Jerusalem and, being hungry and lacking other provisions, plucked heads of grain from a field and rubbed them in their hands to eat. On another occasion, it involved the miraculous healing of a man with a withered hand in the synagogue, accomplished solely through the power of His word without any physical intervention. This last event took place in Galilee.

In this instance, they were confronted by the One who possesses the power to revoke the Old Testament Sabbath, the very Lord of the Sabbath.

The Christ whom they afflict is indeed greater than the temple, and as the Son of Man, He holds dominion over the Sabbath. Instead of fixating on trivial matters of equality, it would be more beneficial for them to recall the profound declaration of the prophet, which states that mercy surpasses sacrifice (Hos. 6:6), prioritizing compassion over lifeless rituals.

‘Lord of the Sabbath’ - He who surpasses the temple, transcending all laws associated with and in the temple, and is above the lawful regulations pertaining to the Sabbath, the Sovereign of the Sabbath itself. He possesses the authority to set aside the Old Testament Sabbath and can instruct His followers to move beyond the Old Testament shadow: ‘for the time has come for them to learn all things by means of the loftiest objects, and no longer should the law bind the hands of him who, freed from evil, strives after all good things.’

In conclusion, Jesus Christ stated that the Sabbath was created for the benefit of humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. Its purpose is to assist individuals, guiding their hearts and minds, which may be weighed down by earthly concerns, towards God and righteousness. The Sabbath is not meant to restrain those who are diligently seeking goodness through the law. The one who surpasses the established religious order came to fulfill the forerunner of the Old Covenant, bringing forth the ultimate truth. Thus, as the Lord and the Son of Man, He possesses the authority to exempt His followers from the obligation of its observance.