At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grain fields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat. But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath (Mt. 12:1,2)
This event is also recorded by Mark and Luke (Mr 2:23-28 Lu 6:1-5), We find Jesus and his disciples, traveling on foot, at the season when grain (corn in some versions) was able to be plucked and eaten. Provision was made in the Mosaic Law for travelers in such a situation to do as the disciples were doing without it being considered stealing (Deut.23:25) The writers say it was the sabbath, and we can be assured that Jesus and his followers knew that, still they picked the grain and ate it. The Pharisees noticed what they were doing, and always looking for something they could use against Jesus, asked why his disciples were violating the sabbath. Notice there is nothing said about Jesus picking and eating the grain, but he was still held responsible (blamed) for what his disciples were doing. It might be well if we learn that lesson (II Cor. 6:3; Titus 1:6;II Cor 8:20). There are times our actions reflect on others, even God (I Tim. 6:1; Rom.2:24).
We have already seen that the disciples were not violating the law by their actions on the sabbath. Jesus kept the law perfectly (Heb. 4:15) in spite of being tempted like all men. This could not have been truthfully said of him if he did not follow the Mosaic law because his law was not in effect while he was living (Heb.9:17). He answered the question of the Pharisees with two questions, which he frequently did, to determine their reading of the law. Obviously, they were not reading correctly, or their understanding was influence by tradition, and a desire to accuse him. It was pointed out that both David and the priests would have been guilty of violating the law or the sabbath if what they were accusing his followers of were true. A little later, in answer to the same kind of question, he used the example of a man pulling his sheep our of a pit to show that it was lawful to heal a man on the sabbath (vs. 11,12). In all these cases mercy was more important than sacrifice, and was not considered a violation of the commandment that forbid work on the sabbath. In another instance Jesus asked "If a man receiveth circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath? Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (Jno. 7:22,23). Jesus was lord of the sabbath. He had authority over it even under the law, but he never taught anyone to quit observing it lawfully. He did show his accusers that their interpretation of working (on the sabbath) was flawed.
What is true concerning the sabbath? Note the following:
Some people today accuse those who do not keep the sabbath, of sin, like the Pharisees did Jesus disciples. As far as I know all they do on the sabbath is meet for worship. The sabbath would begin at 6pm on Friday and end at 6pm on Saturday by our calender, and time keeping. I doubt that many of those who advocate keeping the sabbath do so as commanded, by keeping all that was necessary to not profane it. Jesus never taught that Christians should keep the sabbath. He, and his followers, kept it because it was a part of the law, and he kept the law perfectly. His death was the finish (fulfillment) of the law, and the beginning of his new covenant. There is not one account in the scriptures of Christians observing the sabbath. They met, and all acts of worship took place, on the "first day of the week" (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:2). Paul said, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day (Col. 3:16). We can walk through the corn on the sabbath, so to speak, and be blameless since he has nailed it to his cross.
Jack