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Explanation for:
Matthew
12
:
8
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.
10
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{"arr":[{"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 reflecting on this, Mark conveys that Jesus was speaking about human nature as a whole. He stated, \\"The Sabbath was made for man's sake, and not man for the Sabbath's sake\\" (Mark 2:27). However, one might wonder why the individual who collected wood on the Sabbath faced consequences (Num. 15:33 Dal.). This serves to highlight that laws neglected initially would likely not be adhered to later on. The Sabbath was beneficial in its origins; it fostered humility and neighborly love among people, and gradually, as noted by Ezekiel, it led them to recognize God's Providence, encouraging them to turn from sin and incline toward spiritual matters (Ezek. XX). If the Lawgiver had encouraged them by stating, \\"Do good on the Sabbath, but do not do evil,\\" it is likely they would still have strayed from good. Thus, a broad command is issued: refrain from doing anything. Yet, in spite of this directive, they did not abstain from wrongdoing. Consequently, the Lawgiver, in establishing the Sabbath rules, specifically intended for them to abandon their evil deeds on that day in keeping with His divine will. It is said, \\"Ye shall do nothing, except it be done to souls\\" (Ex. 12:16). Meanwhile, all manner of tasks were performed in the sanctuary with great care and diligence, as the Lord was progressively revealing the essence of truth to them. So, did Christ destroy such a significant blessing? Not at all; He actually intensified it. The time had arrived for them to comprehend everything through the highest truths, where there was no further need to restrict the hands of one who, liberated from sin, seeks all that is good. The necessity of learning through the law that God is the Creator had passed; they were called to embody the goodness of God. \\"Be ye merciful, saith He, even as your Father which is in heaven\\" (Luke 4:36). Those who were instructed to celebrate throughout their lives need no longer limit their observance to a single day. It is said that we celebrate not in the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8). For those who possess the Lord of all within themselves, and who have established communion with Him through prayer, offerings, written expressions, and acts of charity, there is no requirement to stand at the ark and golden altar. What need is there for the Sabbath for one who constantly rejoices and resides in the heavens? Let us celebrate continuously and shun all that is wicked. This is the ultimate celebration. Let us pursue spiritual treasures, turning away from earthly concerns, and partake in spiritual feasts while guarding against greed and liberating our bodies from unnecessary toil, akin to the burdens once experienced by the Jewish people in Egypt."},{"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 actions of the disciples, who gathered grain on the Sabbath, would have been seen as unlawful by the Jews. One instance of this is illustrated by the authority of King David, while another stems from the privileges of the priests, who, by their service in the temple, contravene the Sabbath. However, these comparisons are less relevant to the specific act of harvesting grain on the Sabbath, since it is ultimately the One who embodies both true Kingship and true Priesthood—Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath—who is being referenced."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"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."},{"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":"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. We should not find it surprising that one Gospel writer includes details that another might leave out. The Gospels were not penned concurrently with Christ’s teachings but rather after a considerable passage of time, which naturally leads to the possibility of some details being forgotten by the authors. It is important to consider this context when encountering such additions and omissions. At times, certain details may be intentionally left out for conciseness, or deemed non-essential."},{"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":"‘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.’"},{"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":"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). As the Lord of the Sabbath, He specifically demonstrated His authority by preserving the essence of the original command to dedicate the seventh day to God, while also sanctifying a new day for this purpose through His glorious Resurrection. The former Sabbath, which celebrated the creation of the world, has not been fully restored to joy following the corruption of creation due to sin, and rightfully yields its honor to the new day of Sunday, which commemorates the new creation, in which we are \\"created in Christ Jesus unto good works... regenerated\\" (by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) \\"by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to the living hope\\" (Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:3). Observe how the Lord of the Sabbath did not abolish it, but rather elevated it further. If the ancient Lord’s day, the Sabbath, was sacred in honor of the first creation of the temporal, ought not the new Lord's day, Sunday, which celebrates the joy of the everlasting new creation, be regarded as even more holy and reverently esteemed? St. Chrysostom reflects that \\"great benefit\\" was conferred by the Sabbath; it cultivated meekness and love among people, guided them towards an understanding of God’s providence, and, as the prophet Ezekiel states, gradually led them away from evil. However, now a new era has emerged for humanity, when there is no longer a requirement to adhere to the letter of the Sabbath law with such severity. The Lord had previously restricted the Jews from various activities on the Sabbath to ensure their focus on the reading of the Law, but He did not impose similar prohibitions on Christians, who are instructed to gather in God’s temples on Sunday for prayer and the reading of the Divine Scriptures. For \\"it is unseemly for those who do not stretch their hands even to the least evil to sit idly by; it is unseemly for the perfect to live in the same way as the imperfect.\\""},{"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":"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."},{"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 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."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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. \\n\\nIn response to the Pharisees, who meticulously scrutinized His every action, the Lord provided examples of how holy individuals, in times of necessity, had transgressed certain laws. For instance, He cited how David, while fleeing from Saul, sought the showbread from Abiathar and shared it with his followers (1 Sam. 21:1). He highlighted how the Pharisees themselves contravened the Sabbath rest by rescuing animals trapped in pits, noting that even the priests in the temple could not adhere strictly to the commandment of rest due to their sacrificial duties, especially on ordinary days. The Lord emphasized that something greater than the temple is present here. Thus, the disciples, in following this greater principle, do not desecrate the temple, which is a temporary dwelling of the Almighty, nor His transient laws. \\n\\nMoreover, the Lord reminded them of the divine words from the prophet: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”—that mercy towards the man with the withered hand takes precedence over simply maintaining passive rest. He underscored that the Sabbath is intended for humanity, not the other way around. The Sabbath, like any other time, serves the purpose of doing good rather than committing evil; neglecting a good deed that can benefit a neighbor is also a form of transgression. Finally, the Lord reiterated what He had stated in Jerusalem, declaring that the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."}]}
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