Matthew 12:11, commentary and pictures

In the synagogue where a man with a withered hand had come hoping to be healed, those watching Jesus asked whether healing on the Sabbath was lawful in order to accuse Him, and He answered by appealing to their own accepted practice of laying hold of a sheep fallen into a pit on the Sabbath day and lifting it out. A person is much better than a sheep and is made in God's image, so it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days and healing and other acts of compassion and mercy honor the day in harmony with the fourth commandment. The comparison exposes valuing an animal's loss above a person's suffering, rejects restrictive human rules that misrepresented God, and shows the charge that He broke the Sabbath was false because as Lord of the Sabbath His healing was not contrary to the law He Himself had given. Work to rescue an animal from danger and to save the life of a person or animal is permitted as saving life, so relieving suffering on the Sabbath is a work of necessity and mercy and not a desecration, and physicians and nurses may visit, minister to the sick, and travel when there is real suffering to be alleviated. That necessary care must be distinguished from ordinary work that can wait until the next day, for the Sabbath remains God's sanctified time to be kept free from unnecessary work, while as a sheep is lifted from a pit so a fallen man must be lifted with tender pitying love, and keeping the Sabbath holy in this way identifies God's people as belonging to Him.

Setting and Teaching

The question was put in the synagogue where a man with a withered hand had come hoping to be healed, in the same course of events as going through the grain fields and plucking grain. The scribes and Pharisees were watching Jesus, knew He meant to heal, and asked whether healing on the Sabbath was lawful in order to accuse Him, the Lord who made the Sabbath, judging Him blindly. The healing provoked malice, anger, and rage because He did good on the Lord's day.

He answered by appealing to His accusers' own accepted practice with one sheep, that if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day they will lay hold on it and lift it out. They themselves had performed that very act that morning, and rescuing an animal from danger and preventing loss on the Sabbath was permitted and did not violate the day. The argument rests on the greater worth of a person, that a man is much better than a sheep and is worth more than a sheep. Man is made in God's image, and a human life matters even more than a sheep.

Therefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Healing, relieving the suffering of man or beast, and other acts of compassion and mercy are fitting, honor the Sabbath, and are in harmony with the fourth commandment as God gave it, with God's law, and with every command of the Decalogue. Christ's Sabbath miracles meeting the needs of people afflicted by Satan revealed this work of mercy, and He had not violated God's command.

The sheep example exposes the inconsistency of allowing help to an animal while refusing relief to a suffering person and valuing an animal's loss above a person's suffering. It corrects false Sabbath teachings, rejects restrictive human rules and human-made restrictions that misrepresented God and dishonored the day, and shows the Sabbath should be kept according to God's law. The charge that Jesus broke the Sabbath came from ignorance of the Scriptures, the power of God, and the true meaning and principles of the law He Himself had spoken from the pillar of cloud. He declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath, His healing was not contrary to the law, and the charge was false. His enemies could find no fault in Him for Sabbath healing, dared not press the accusation because examining the good He had done would expose their purpose and undermine their attempt to condemn Him, and had to hire false witnesses to condemn Him.

Sabbath Mercy in Practice

Work to pull an animal out of danger on the Sabbath is permitted as an exception for saving life. Work to save the life of a person or animal stands on different ground from breaking the Sabbath for personal financial advantage, and does not give permission for that. Relieving suffering on the Sabbath is right, a work of necessity and mercy rather than a violation or desecration of the day. The needs of the sick must not be neglected, so physicians and nurses may visit, help, and minister to the sick, and may travel on the Sabbath when there is real suffering to be alleviated.

Necessary care is to be distinguished from ordinary work that can be postponed. Unnecessary Sabbath duties, ordinary treatments and operations, work and pleasure seeking that are not necessary, and avoidable work allowed to accumulate until more Sabbath labor is done than necessary, must wait until the next day. The Sabbath remains God's sanctified and blessed time set apart for His service rather than personal use, and its sacred hours are to be kept free from unnecessary work. Physicians must still honor the Sabbath and plan their work to obey God, doing no unnecessary work, deferring what can wait, and letting patients know that physicians must have one day for rest.

As a sheep fallen into a pit is laid hold of and lifted out, how much more must a man fallen into trouble be lifted out with tender, pitying love and hope. No soul for whom Christ has paid so great a price can be afforded to be imperiled, passed by, or left discouraged under Satan, but must be encouraged, set to work, and have his path cleared. Those in responsible positions are tested by whether they will yoke up with Christ and manifest His compassion and love in thus lifting out the fallen. Keeping the Sabbath holy in this way identifies God's people as belonging to Him.