Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 12:1-2

"At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; 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." — Matthew 12:1-2 (ASV)

They were probably on their way to the synagogue. They were allowed by law to take ears of grain as they passed along, but the Pharisees' objection was to their doing this on the Sabbath. Plucking was reaping, rubbing the grain from the husk was threshing, to their hypercritical minds. Their traditions and fancies they regarded as a code of law, and according to this, the disciples were doing that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. They came to Jesus Himself with their grave complaints. For once they plucked up courage to deal with the Leader, for they felt very strong on the Sabbath question and they thought it fair to lay the faults of the disciples at the door of their Teacher.

We incidentally learn from this story that our Lord and His disciples were poor, and that He who fed the multitudes did not use His miraculous power to feed His own followers, but left them until they did what poor men are forced to do to obtain a little relief from their hunger. Our Lord bribes no one into following Him. They may be His apostles and yet be hungry on a Sabbath.

Why did these Pharisees not give them bread and so prevent them from doing what they objected to? We might also fairly ask, how did they happen to see the disciples? Did they not break the Sabbath by setting a watch over them?