Matthew 12:5 Meaning and Explanation
“Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus notes that priests work in the temple on the sabbath and yet remain blameless.
What Does Matthew 12:5 Mean?
Jesus gives a second proof, this time from the law itself. The priests labor on the sabbath, offering sacrifices, tending the lamps, setting out fresh bread, doing in the temple the very kind of work the day forbids elsewhere. Yet the law holds them guiltless, for their work is the worship of God.
Here is the principle the Pharisees have missed: service rendered to God on the sabbath does not break it but fulfills it. The day was made holy for God's purposes, and what advances those purposes honors the day. If temple service overrides a strict rest, then the One who is the true temple may surely guide his servants in works of mercy and need.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 12:5
What does Matthew 12:5 mean?
Jesus notes that priests work in the temple on the sabbath and yet remain blameless.