For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Christ claims authority to exempt His followers from Sabbath observance as He sees fit. He is Lord of that ceremony just as He is Lord of all legal ordinances, and by the Spirit of adoption He alone delivers us from the wretched bondage of the Law into true liberty.
AI summary
The Jews had twisted the fourth commandment into a harsh strictness that Christ here corrects by His example. Works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Sabbath; Christ's careful exposition proves the commandment stands firm for all ages, but His Church is freed from the rigid rules the Jewish elders had piled upon it.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 12:1-13
No mere man holds dominion over any law. Christ, the Son of Man, instituted the Sabbath and can therefore dispense with it and even abolish it as He pleases. Since He is Lord of the Sabbath, the Pharisees should not marvel that He relaxes it for His disciples as He did for David and the temple priests.
AI summary