This text prompts several questions.\u00a0 Did Jesus\u2019 disciples break the law?\u00a0 Did Jesus defend and excuse the sins of His disciples?\u00a0 Can we set aside God\u2019s law in an \u201cemergency situation?\u201d\u00a0 Did Jesus teach \u201cChristian situation ethics?\u201d\u00a0 For many Christians the meaning and application of this passage are unclear.<\/p>\n
Situation ethics is the philosophical offspring of secular humanism.\u00a0 To the humanist, right and wrong are mere human values and are determined by the situation at hand.\u00a0 Secular humanism rejects the notion of a higher power and divine law.\u00a0 What is wrong in one situation might be right in another, absolutes do not exist.<\/p>\n
Many religious people also do not like absolutes and have embraced situation ethics while rejecting certain portions of secular humanism.\u00a0 A re-interpretation of the above passage allows men to set aside the word of God when it is deemed \u201can emergency.\u201d\u00a0 This philosophy fits perfectly with the sectarian notion that the word of God is not a law and that to categorize it as such makes one a legalist or a modern day Pharisee (contrary to passages like Romans 3:27,\u00a08:2;\u00a0Galatians 6:2;\u00a0James 1:25,\u00a02:12).\u00a0 The view of many is that Christ died to make us free from law, any law, even Divine law.\u00a0 So, we should not be surprised when denominations embrace and promote all kinds of immoral behavior.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn other words, human need is a higher law than religious rules and regulations.\u00a0 Or, to put it more exactly, love is the highest law in the universe and supersedes all other regulations.\u00a0 And love demands that human need must be met, even if some legal technicalities have to be laid aside in the process. . . . It is obvious that this concept of true religion as consisting of a right attitude rather than ritual acts was central to Jesus\u2019 thinking.\u201d (Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, pp. 120, 121)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe conclusion places mercy above ritual, and love above law . . . Jesus showed us that human need takes precedence over rites, codes, or cultural taboos.\u201d (The Communicators Commentary, Vol. 1, p.152)<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it was understood that if an emergency or positive commandment called for some physical act even on the sabbath day, then the regular law as to its observance did not apply or bind the parties to its usual observance. . . Lord of the sabbath does not imply that he would belittle the law of the holy days.\u00a0 He was with his Father in all of the works of creation, also in the issuing of laws and dispensations for the conduct of human beings.\u00a0 Any lawmaking power has the right to alter its own edicts if and when it sees fit to meet an emergency, hence Jesus was within his rights in the above conduct.\u201d (Bible Commentary, E. M. Zerr, pp.41-42)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Consider the following questions that are prompted by this position:<\/p>\n
Do human needs really take precedence over Divine law?\u00a0 While on earth Jesus took on human flesh.\u00a0 He faced all of the weaknesses and temptations connected with the physical body that we do.\u00a0 In Matthew 4 Jesus fasted forty days and nights and was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread.\u00a0 Why did He refuse if human need takes precedence over God\u2019s will?\u00a0 The disciples could have fasted on that Sabbath day and survived just fine.\u00a0 One day without food hardly qualifies as a \u201cneed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus instructed His disciples before they preached to Israel, “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.\u00a0 And you will be hated by all for My name\u2019s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 10:21-22).\u00a0 Some might argue that the greatest human need (after our spiritual needs are met) is survival.\u00a0 Surely Christ would allow the disciples to set aside some \u201csmall\u201d portion of His law if one\u2019s survival were at risk.\u00a0 But the above passage indicates otherwise.\u00a0 The same chapter also records, \u201cAnd do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 10:28), and \u201cTherefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 10:32-33).\u00a0 The message that \u201chuman needs take precedence over God\u2019s law\u201d is clearly false.\u00a0 Consider Jesus response to Satan: \u201cMan shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 4:4).\u00a0 Is He not teaching that the word of God takes precedence over human need?<\/p>\nDoes \u201cthe law of love\u201d allow for the occasional disobedience to God?\u00a0 First, Jesus taught that love requires complete obedience.\u00a0 \u201cIf you love Me, keep My commandments<\/em>\u201d (John 14:15). Which commandments? By implication, we understand this to mean all of them.\u00a0 Where does Jesus state that man may make exceptions as \u201cneeded\u201d?\u00a0 Whatever exceptions exist are stated within the law of Christ.\u00a0 We are, for example, told to obey civil leaders (Romans 13:1-7;\u00a0I Peter 2:13-15).\u00a0 The only exception to this is found in\u00a0Acts 4:19-20\u00a0and\u00a05:29.<\/p>\n\u201cFor this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome<\/em>\u201d (I John 5:3).\u00a0 He is not saying that we keep only those commandments that are not burdensome (and by implication set aside those that are), rather, our love for God should far exceed any burden we might experience. In the last phrase, \u201cHis commandments are not burdensome,<\/em>\u201d the verb is in the indicative mood implying the certainty of the statement.\u00a0 His commandments are not burdensome because the child of God has an understanding of sin and its consequences and an appreciation for God\u2019s willingness to forgive our sins.\u00a0 If we truly understand the destiny that we avoid through God\u2019s forgiveness, then any requirement (burden) God places on us pales in comparison.<\/p>\nSecond, what is meant by \u201cthe law of love?\u201d\u00a0 Most understand this to be some fuzzy, imprecise feeling that is motivated by good will.\u00a0 Consequently, what we do doesn\u2019t really matter as long as our intentions are \u201cgood.\u201d\u00a0 Make no mistake, there is a \u201claw of love,\u201d but it\u2019s not what most religious people think.\u00a0 \u201cRender therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.\u00a0 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.\u00a0 For the commandments, \u2018You shall not commit adultery,\u2019 \u2018You shall not murder,\u2019 \u2018You shall not steal,\u2019 \u2018You shall not bear false witness,\u2019 \u2018You shall not covet,\u2019 and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, \u2018You shall love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019\u00a0 Love does no harm to a neighbor; the refore love is the fulfillment of the law<\/em>\u201d (Romans 13:7-10, see also\u00a0Galatians 5:14\u00a0and\u00a0James 2:8).\u00a0 Love toward God and man does not violate God\u2019s word, love keeps it.\u00a0 If we love God, we will keep all of His commandments.\u00a0 If we love our neighbor, we will follow all of God instructions on how to treat our neighbor.<\/p>\nDid Jesus, as the lawmaker, make exceptions for Himself or others? Such reasoning would allow Jesus to violate any commandment by simply making an exception.\u00a0 Could He steal if such would help the situation by making an exception?\u00a0 Could He lie if it would help out with \u201chuman need\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0 Sin is defined as \u201clawlessness\u201d (I John 3:4), so if Jesus violated God\u2019s law He was guilty of sin.\u00a0\u00a0Romans 5:13\u00a0says, \u201csin is not imputed when there is no law.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 But there was a law, the law of Moses.\u00a0 Further, this interpretation contradicts\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 own words, \u201cFor assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 5:18).\u00a0 His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) was not the result of making exceptions for Himself or others, but because He kept the law perfectly.<\/p>\nDid Jesus defend the sin of His disciples? No, because His disciples did not sin. They violated the tradition of the Pharisees, but not the law of Moses. Matthew 12:7\u00a0states clearly that the disciples were \u201cguiltless.\u201d\u00a0 But the real problem with this view is that it has Jesus defending the sins of others, which contradicts the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 13:8;\u00a0Proverbs 1:10) and the law that Jesus was establishing.\u00a0 The law of Christ condemns those who approve sin: \u201cwho, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them<\/em>\u201d (Romans 1:32).<\/p>\nIf God allows us to set aside His laws without accountability, then which laws may we disobey and in what situation?\u00a0 Such a philosophy necessarily leads to the conclusion that there are no absolutes, even with God.<\/p>\n
The Actual Meaning Of The Text<\/h2>\n
To properly understand the events of Matthew 12 it is necessary to understand what the law of Moses taught.\u00a0 The law allowed for the disciples’ actions, \u201cWhen you come into your neighbor\u2019s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor\u2019s standing grain<\/em>\u201d (Deuteronomy 23:25).\u00a0 The Pharisees’ objection was not in what the disciples did, but when they did it.\u00a0 Their tradition taught that the disciples were guilty of working on the Sabbath.\u00a0 But what they did was not work.<\/p>\nThe example of David<\/h3>\n
Jesus responded by pointing out what David did when he was fleeing from Saul (I Samuel 21).\u00a0 The bread that David requested had been offered in the tabernacle and was only for the priests to eat (Leviticus 24:5-9).\u00a0 Jesus clearly states that the showbread that David took \u201cwas not lawful for him to eat<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 12:4).\u00a0 To assume that Jesus was defending David is just that, an assumption.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 point is very simple: the Pharisees would never have condemned David when he broke the law, but they readily condemned the disciples though they did not break the law.<\/p>\nThe priests<\/h3>\n
The Sabbath law had recognized exceptions, and the priests served as an example of such.\u00a0 Though the command was not to work on the Sabbath, yet the priests had work to do.\u00a0 Other activities were allowed on the Sabbath as well.\u00a0 These included caring for the needs of animals (Deuteronomy 22:1-4;\u00a0Matthew 12:11), circumcision (John 7:22), helping the needy (Luke 14:1-6).\u00a0 The Pharisaical approach to the law ignored mercy (Matthew 12:7;\u00a023:23).\u00a0 They forbid what the law allowed.\u00a0\u00a0Mark 2:27\u00a0record, \u201cAnd He said to them, \u2018The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.\u2019<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 The Sabbath was a day of rest given for man\u2019s benefit, and a day in which to remember the blessings of God (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).\u00a0 The Pharisees perverted this intent.<\/p>\nThe Lord of the Sabbath<\/h3>\n
Jesus as deity knew what the law of Moses allowed and disallowed.\u00a0 As the Son of God, He was superior to the Levitical priests, and His work was more important than theirs.\u00a0 The suggestion that as Lord of the Sabbath Jesus could set aside its requirements is not taught here.\u00a0 Jesus had already stated that He was superior to the temple (Matthew 12:6).\u00a0 In referring to Himself as \u201cLord of the Sabbath,\u201d He was again asserting His equality with the Father.\u00a0 Consider the words of\u00a0John 5:17-18, \u201cBut Jesus answered them, \u2018My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.\u2019\u00a0 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Dan Gatlin In Matthew 12:1-8 (and its parallel in Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5) we have recorded a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath: \u201cAt that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[199,694],"class_list":["post-3989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-ethics","tag-situational-ethics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":57680,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-and-the-sabbath-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":0},"title":"Jesus and the Sabbath Law","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Walton Weaver From\u00a0That They All May Be One: Studies on Unity, Freedom and Authority in the Body of Christ, pp. 90-93 Those who adopt this way of handling the word of God believe that the law of love gives them the \"right\" to exalt love above God's law and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/01\/disciplesGrain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/01\/disciplesGrain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/01\/disciplesGrain.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3977,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-think-jesus-did-defend-david-in-matthew-124\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":1},"title":"I think Jesus did defend David in Matthew 12:4","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 11, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In reference to Christian Situation Ethics by Dan Gatlin: \"The example of David. Jesus responded by pointing out what David did when he was fleeing from Saul (I Samuel 21). The bread that David requested had been offered in the tabernacle and was only for the priests to eat\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3177,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-exceptions-to-withdrawal\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":2},"title":"Are there exceptions to withdrawal?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 11, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been studying the issue of fellowship within the family. In other words, I have family who are erring brethren and walk not as God has commanded. In accordance with I Corinthians 5 and other verses which say \"not even to eat,\" are there guidelines or principles for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1992,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-money-be-used-from-the-church-treasury-to-do-good-for-non-christians\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":3},"title":"Can money be used from the church treasury to do good for non-Christians?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 15, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Comment: The following is taken from a list of questions sent to me by my request. The author is from a more liberally-minded group who is preparing lessons on the issues that separate some churches of Christ. He was interested in the other side's point of view and I was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18993,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-sabbath-still-holy-and-set-apart\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":4},"title":"Is the Sabbath still holy and set apart?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Howdy, I came across your web site recently and have enjoyed reading the information about different subjects. I do have a question concerning the Lord's Sabbath. Is the Sabbath that Jesus sanctified in Genesis 2:3, referred to as 'My holy day in Isaiah 58:13, and of which He said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41464,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-desire-mercy\/","url_meta":{"origin":3989,"position":5},"title":"I Desire Mercy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 9:9-13 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In honor of Jesus, the new apostle, Matthew, who was also known as Levi, held a dinner. He invited the people he knew. They weren\u2019t the best in Jewish society: other tax collectors and people involved in various sins. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mark 2:16-17 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/a>\u201cAt that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, \u2018Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!\u2019\u00a0 But He said to them, \u2018Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? \u2018Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?\u00a0 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.\u00a0 But if you had known what this means, \u201cI desire mercy and not sacrifice,\u201d you would not have condemned the guiltless.\u00a0 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n