Matthew 12:1-8 NRSVue
1At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
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Reflection on Matthew 12:1-8
Inspiration from 2025-07-18 Daily Prayer
The temple is not greater than the One who is present there and for whom it was adorned. The Sabbath is not greater than the One who is worshipped on that day. Laws are meant to help lead us to God, not become an end in themselves or even an obstacle on our path to God. Jesus said, quoting Isaiah 29:13, ‘This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ Do we recite the words of prayers endlessly without engaging our hearts with the Person who is there with us in our prayer?
Further reflection
The Bible gave a simple command: to keep the Sabbath holy. The rabbis went on to classify 39 sorts of work which were not permitted on the Sabbath. Jesus draws them back to the simplicity of God's command and defends his guiltless companions.
Lord, there are times when I throw rule-violations at people who in your eyes are doing what is innocent and natural. Forgive my foolish judgments.
Nothing is more central to the Christian life than Jesus Christ, his life, death, resurrection and his words. Regulations about the Sabbath - all religious regulations - were put into perspective. Our faith is about a person who is both God and human, whose life touches all the important times of our life – birth, ministry, suffering and death. The way we practice religion is to lead us to the true way, to comprehensive truth and to everlasting life.
Jesus highlights that a compassionate response to hunger and human need takes precedence over scrupulous observance of a ritual or a law. While the temple and all intuitional trappings of the gospel may have their relative importance, there are higher concerns. Jesus states that God - in this case, himself - and God's concerns are of higher value.
When my church is criticised it is easy to become defensive and self righteous. The gospel reminds me that Jesus often experienced rebuttal and told his disciples to expect it. I pray that I may act and speak more like Jesus did.