But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Christ reproves the Pharisees for not understanding why ceremonies were appointed in the first place. God values mercy and kindness above external rites, not because He rejects ceremonies altogether, but because they are worthless in themselves apart from their proper object. The Pharisees twisted the Law, neglecting genuine duties of compassion while clinging to empty forms.
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
Our Lord exposes the Pharisees on two counts: ignorance of Scripture they claimed to interpret, and sheer inhumanity in condemning guiltless men for plucking grain to eat. God prefers acts of mercy and compassion to ceremonial observance; had they possessed either scriptural understanding or basic human compassion, they would never have brought this charge.
AI summary