Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests, by serving in the temple, set aside the Sabbath, and yet are not considered guilty?
In this saying Jesus reminds them of a principle already present within the Law, showing that the priests who serve in the temple perform on the Sabbath day tasks that are usually considered work, yet they are not accused, because that service is carried out by God’s command and in accordance with His will (for example, Numbers 28:9–10). By this example Christ reveals that the Sabbath is violated not by service, but when a person loses the purpose of the Law—mercy and devotion to God. This saying shows that a right understanding of the Law requires distinguishing formal observance from God-pleasing service, and that God’s work is to be preferred over the Law’s literal restrictions.