The remainder of this remarkable discourse we must here omit for want of space. We are not informed what impression it produced upon his auditors. Soon after this, Jesus, accompanied by some of his disciples, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, was passing, on the sabbath, through a field of grain. By an express statute, any one could pluck a handful of the standing wheat as he passed. His disciples, being hungry, plucked the ears, rubbed out the kernels in their hands, and ate them. The cavilling Pharisees, ever watching for some offence, again complained that Jesus was encouraging the violation of the sabbath. Jesus improved the opportunity to show that the laws of God were intended for the benefit of man; that David and his followers, when hungry, ate of the show-bread, and were blameless; that the priests in the temple did not violate the sabbath in performing a large amount of labor required by their services. They might reply, “You are no priest, and your work is not for the benefit of the temple.” This objection was met by the very remarkable statement, that Jesus was Lord of the temple:―― “But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But, if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” These were astounding declarations for even the most exalted prophet to make,――that he was the Son of God; that he came forth from the Father; that whatever the Father could do, he could do; that all men were bound to honor him even as they honored the Father. Returning to the city, Jesus entered the synagogue. It was the sabbath day, and the building was doubtless thronged, as, wherever Jesus now appeared, the multitude followed. It is manifest that the masses of the people were in sympathy with him, though the self-righteous Pharisees and the doctors of the law sought for an opportunity of bringing forward such accusations as should turn the tide against him. In the synagogue there was a man with a withered hand, who had doubtless come hoping to find Jesus and to be cured. The Pharisees watched him, to see if he would, as they deemed it, or pretended to deem it, violate the sabbath by doing a work of healing upon that day. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called upon the man to rise up and stand forth in a conspicuous place in the presence of the whole congregation. Then, turning to the Pharisees, he said,―― “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?” Apparently, without waiting for an answer, he added,―― “What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and, if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much, then, is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”