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.”

“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”

Some thoughts on this scripture

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.

Reflection
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.

Reflection
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.

Reflection
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.

Reflection
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.

Reflection
I am circumscribed by many laws, guidelines and regulations. I pray for the freedom and maturity that Jesus had never to let anything come between him and God.