Sunday, January 25, 2026
Sabbath Questions
12 At that [a]time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the [b]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [c]break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this [d]means, ‘I desire [e]compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned [f]Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, “What man [g]is there among you who [h]has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do [i]good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to [j]normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and [k]conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus, [l]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to [m]tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
18 “Behold, My [n]Servant whom I [o]have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul [p]is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim [q]justice to the [r]Gentiles.
19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 “A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He [s]leads [t]justice to victory.
21 “And in His name the [u]Gentiles will hope.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 12:1 Or occasion
- Matthew 12:4 Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation
- Matthew 12:5 Or profane
- Matthew 12:7 Lit is
- Matthew 12:7 Or mercy
- Matthew 12:10 Lit Him
- Matthew 12:11 Lit will be from you
- Matthew 12:11 Lit will have
- Matthew 12:12 Lit well
- Matthew 12:13 Lit health
- Matthew 12:14 Lit took counsel
- Matthew 12:15 Lit knowing
- Matthew 12:16 Lit make Him known
- Matthew 12:18 Lit Child
- Matthew 12:18 Lit chose
- Matthew 12:18 Or took pleasure
- Matthew 12:18 Or judgment
- Matthew 12:18 Or nations
- Matthew 12:20 Or puts forth
- Matthew 12:20 Or judgment
- Matthew 12:21 Or nations
