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Explanation for:
Matthew
12
:
2
And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"It is important to observe that the apostles of the Savior were the first to dismantle the letter of the law, which stands in contrast to the views of the Ebionites who deem Paul a violator of the law, while they accept the other apostles."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"‘Look, your disciples are doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath.’ Initially, the Lord provided them with instruction and made them just through the truth to prevent them from being unduly astonished when He fulfilled the law through the completeness of His teaching. His Father rendered it obsolete to demonstrate that the creation of the world, the administration, and the observance of the law belonged to Him. This act confirmed that the law was a remedy for those suffering from spiritual ailments, from head to toe, as the true healer offered healing to those in distress. *Isaiah 1:6: ‘From the sole of the foot to the pubis of the head, there is no healthy place in Israel.’"},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In this context, they do not exhibit overt violence. Although they are capable of being aggressive, their annoyance is minimal, and they accuse in a straightforward manner. However, when the Lord instructed the man with the withered hand to stretch it out and restored it, their fury erupted, leading them to plot His destruction and death. They remain mute in the face of trivial matters, yet when they witness the salvation of a soul, they become hardened, outraged, and filled with rage. The salvation of humanity is repugnant to them."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"It should be noted that the action which seemed unlawful to the Jews was the disciples gathering grain on the Sabbath. An instance of this is seen in the actions of David, who, exercising his royal authority, provided a precedent; another comes from the priests who, in performing their duties in the temple, transgress the Sabbath. However, these examples are less relevant to the specific act of gathering grain on the Sabbath. The one who embodies both the true King and the true Priest holds the title of Lord of the Sabbath."},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In places void of great and noble deeds, there is tranquility; yet where they observe the salvation of some, their hostility intensifies more than anyone else’s. They oppose human salvation and lack understanding of the sacred scriptures. If the New Covenant announced by Jeremiah differs from the former one, then indeed it is the new commandments, not the old, that should be followed. However, the Pharisees, unwilling to grasp this truth, incited the holy apostles and claimed to Christ, “Behold, we see that those whom You are leading are transgressing the commandments of the law; for while the law instructs to rest on the Sabbath and refrain from any work, Your disciples are harvesting grain with their hands.” But I ask you, O Pharisee, when you prepare the meal for the Sabbath, do you not break bread? Why do you cast blame on others?"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded that a question was posed to the disciples regarding their actions on the Sabbath, asking what they were doing that was deemed unworthy. Both Jesus and His followers encountered similar criticism from these bothersome individuals. The Gospel of Matthew highlights the condemnation directed at Christ, while Luke focuses on the disciples. Frequently, you will observe parallels in their experiences. The accusers condemned the disciples not for what they consumed but for the act of plucking, which they considered as work."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The command concerning the Sabbath states that Moses instructed six days of work, prohibiting ordinary activities on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, except for those that are absolutely necessary (Exodus 20:10, Exodus 35:2-3, Numbers 15:32-36). Additionally, the traditions established by the elders placed further restrictions on Sabbath observance, sometimes even restricting acts of charity and devotion. Nevertheless, the Pharisees, who opposed the Savior, appeared to intensify the strictness of the Sabbath laws, particularly regarding Him and His followers; in their own practices, they likely showed more leniency (cf. Matt. 12:11). When Jesus’ disciples picked grains on the Sabbath to satisfy their hunger, the Pharisees viewed this act as a breach of the Sabbath rest, treating it as a desecration, and they did not hesitate to confront the Lord about it, accusing Him of permitting what they deemed a clear and provocative violation of the Sabbath commands by His disciples."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Upon witnessing this, the Pharisees taunted him, saying, \\"Look, your followers are engaging in activities that are not permissible on the Sabbath. How is this allowed?\\" This same accusation was directed at the Lord's disciples, as recounted by the Evangelist Luke. The Mosaic Law prohibited all but the most essential tasks on the Sabbath, yet the Jewish teachers of the law enforced such stringent regulations that they deemed even commendable deeds as infringements upon the sanctity of the day. Under their interpretation, gathering grains was likened to harvesting, rubbing the grains in hands was compared to threshing, and they prescribed stoning for such acts on the Sabbath. They could not fathom that these audacious Galileans, alongside their Teacher, could endure even a few hours of hunger until the cessation of the Sabbath rested upon them."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Jesus' return to Galilee did not prolong His stay in Jerusalem. Luke the evangelist records that on the first Saturday following the second day of Passover, He passed through grain fields. Whether He was on His way back to Galilee or had already arrived remains unclear, yet what is vital for our understanding is Luke's note that this event took place on the first Saturday of the second day of the Passover. The Jewish festival of Passover was observed on the 14th day of the first lunar month of spring, Nisan, regardless of the day of the week. On the evening of the 14th of Nisan, the Passover meal was consumed, and the second day marked the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted for seven days. This feast coincided with the harvest season. According to the Law of Moses, on the day following Passover, the first sheaf of the harvest was to be presented to the priest, and it was prohibited to eat any new bread or grain until that time (Leviticus 23:5-6, 10-11, 14). Thus, if Jesus was already beyond Jerusalem on the first Sabbath following the second day of Passover, it indicates He had not dwelt in the city for long.\\n\\nThe Pharisees charged Jesus' disciples with violating the Sabbath by plucking grain. It is significant that the Pharisees closely monitored Jesus, observing His every action and scrutinizing any perceived breach of their traditions. This instance was no different; upon witnessing Jesus' hungry disciples plucking grain, rubbing it in their hands, and consuming it, they pointed it out to Him, saying, “Look at what your disciples are doing on the Sabbath.” According to Luke’s account, some Pharisees directed their inquiry not at Jesus but at His disciples, questioning, “Why do you do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” (Luke 6:2). The Gospels of Matthew and Mark, however, record the Pharisees addressing this concern directly to Jesus. This is not contradictory; the Pharisees’ scrutiny of Jesus and His followers was intense, and their animosity toward Him was fierce. Thus, it is entirely plausible that some Pharisees chose to direct their reprimand at the disciples, while others confronted Jesus directly. Two evangelists captured the Pharisees’ question posed to Jesus, and one noted the question to His disciples, confirming the reliability of all three accounts. The Pharisees limited their accusation to the Sabbath violation, aware that after the second day of Passover, it was permissible to consume bread and grain from the new harvest. They were also cognizant that it was generally lawful to pluck grain from another's field by hand, but not with a sickle (Deuteronomy 23:25)."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The vigilant adversaries quickly exploited this latest incident of Sabbath violation with malicious delight. The esteemed rabbis equated the act of plucking grain with harvesting, and the handling of it with threshing, deeming such activities worthy of punishment by stoning. For them, this was a grave transgression. Historical accounts reveal that devout Jews have chosen to face starvation rather than desecrate the Sabbath. There is a notable case of a Jewish shipmaster who, despite threats to his life, steadfastly refused to steer the vessel during a violent storm once the sun had set and the Sabbath began. Yet these unfortunate Galileans and their Teacher could not endure a few hours of hunger and audaciously disregarded the sacredness of the Sabbath! Seizing this moment, the Pharisees quickly encircled the Savior, pointing with triumph at the disciples, saying, \\"Look at what they are doing,\\" with a derisive gesture towards the followers, \\"doing on the Sabbath what they should not!\\""}]}
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