Matthew 12:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Once more, Christ performs healing on the Sabbath, thereby affirming the actions of His followers. The other gospel writers mention that He called a man forward and inquired of the Jews whether it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9). Observe the Lord's compassion. By bringing the man to the forefront, He aimed to stir their hearts through the sight of him; He hoped that witnessing the man's plight would lead them to abandon their malice and be shamed into abandoning their harshness. Yet, those who remain unyielding and lacking in humanity would prefer to diminish Christ's glory rather than witness the sick man restored. In their opposition, they reveal their hostility toward Christ, going so far as to abuse His kindness toward others.

Mark indicates that He once more entered their synagogues, while Luke provides a clearer account, stating that on another Sabbath He again entered the synagogues and taught.

After safeguarding His disciples who were gathering grain on the Sabbath and departing from the place where He clarified the Sabbath Law to the Pharisees, the following Sabbath, the Lord Jesus Christ entered the synagogue and shared His teachings with them.

During the following two Sabbaths, the significance of the Sabbath and the sanctity of its rest, which had been only briefly addressed due to recent disagreements with the Pharisees, were articulated more comprehensively and clarified more definitively. The first instance occurred when the Lord's disciples, while traveling from Jerusalem and feeling hunger with no other provisions, plucked ears of grain from a field, rubbed them in their hands, and ate. Another instance arose with the miraculous healing of a man with a withered hand in the synagogue, accomplished solely through a spoken command, without any physical action. This event took place in Galilee.

On a certain Sabbath, Jesus Christ was found teaching in a synagogue. Within the assembly was a man whose right hand was withered. The scribes and Pharisees observed closely to see if Christ would violate the Sabbath by healing this afflicted individual. Not only did they watch in silence, but as recorded by Matthew, they posed a challenging question to Him. Jesus, having summoned the man with the withered hand to stand in the midst, asked the Pharisees, "Which of you, having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lift it out?" He continued, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil?

After Jesus left that place, He entered their synagogue. The Evangelist Matthew notes this, while Mark states: "And He came again into the synagogue" (Mk. 3:1). In Luke's account, it is mentioned: "And it happened on another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught" (Lk. 6:6). Consequently, it remains unclear which Sabbath it was when Jesus healed the man with a withered hand—whether it was the same Sabbath during which His disciples harvested grain, or a different one. Luke's Gospel indicates that it was on a different Sabbath, whereas Matthew suggests it was the same one. The Evangelists generally didn't emphasize the precise timing of the events they recounted.

To further illustrate the unfounded nature of the Pharisees' hostility towards those they accused of violating the Sabbath, the Saviour took advantage of a new opportunity that arose in the synagogue of a nearby town on that same day. Within the synagogue was a man, identified as a bricklayer, who had suffered an accidental injury that left his hand withered. He implored Christ for healing, desiring deliverance from the painful burden of begging for alms. His presence and intent were well-known to all, which is why the prominent positions were filled by the scribes and Pharisees, their envious gaze fixed on Christ, eagerly awaiting His actions so they could later bring accusations against Him.

In reference to the synagogue (cf. Matthew 4:23), it pertains to the Pharisees to whom He was currently addressing His words, or alternatively, “them” might be interpreted more broadly, similar to Matthew 11:1, as referring to a synagogue located in Galilee.

After elucidating the significance of the Sabbath to the scribes and Pharisees during their journey, Jesus entered the synagogue on another Sabbath and began to teach. Present there was a man with a shriveled right hand. The scribes and Pharisees, intent on finding grounds to accuse the Teacher, who had already raised the ire of those devoted to strict adherence to the law and the traditions of the elders, observed Him closely to see if He would perform healing on the Sabbath once more.