And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, what are Your disciples doing on the Sabbath that is against the Law?”
This question again reveals the condition of the Pharisees’ hearts. They were following Jesus not to understand or to accept the truth, but to find some fault and accuse Him. Their attention was focused on the outward keeping of the law, and they did not see the person’s real need; even more, they did not recognize the presence of the Lord who was standing before them. For them, the Sabbath rules had become an end in themselves, whereas God had given them for the well-being of man. When the law is cut off from mercy, it turns into a heavy burden and loses its true meaning. This episode shows how a person can cling so tightly to the letter of the law that he forgets the main purpose of God’s will: to help man and to lead him to God.