And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Christ shows what the Sabbath truly demands: if you would rescue your sheep from a pit without hesitation, how much more must you relieve a man in distress? The Pharisees slander Him for doing what they themselves practice daily. Neglecting to help is itself sin, not obedience to God's rest.
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
A man surpasses a sheep as a rational creature surpasses a brute; his health matters more than a beast's life. If the Law permits you to pull your sheep from a ditch on the Sabbath, it plainly permits healing a man's infirmity. The argument was so forceful the Pharisees could not object.
AI summary