Why did the Pharisees not like Jesus?
Matthew Chapter 12
His disciples picking grain on the Sabbath
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
The Pharisees actually got it wrong here regarding the law because helping the poor is a positive commandment and Jesus the messiah did not possess wealth of any kind.
Leviticus 19:?
9When thou reapest the corn of thy land, thou shalt not cut down all that is on the face of the earth to the very ground: nor shalt thou gather the ears that remain.?
?10 Neither shalt thou gather the bunches and grapes that fall down in thy vineyard: but shalt leave them to the poor and the strangers to take. I am the Lord your God.?
The Law of Moses made provisions for the poor to eat from the grains and the grapes of each corner of a field. These were to be left for the hungry and poor to glean from.
Christ and his disciples would have been considered poor under the Law of Moses and thus would have had access to eat freely from the grain of the field, even on the Sabbath.
While the disciples were forbidden from carrying money bags this was in imitation of Christ. St Matthew left behind his money to follow Jesus. St Peter and St Andrew left behind his business to follow Jesus. Paul says he counted everything that he had gained apart from Christ as loss and garbage for the sake of gaining Christ.
Philippians 3:7-17 Douay-Rheims Bible
7But the things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for Christ. 8Furthermore I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ: 9And may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, which is of God, justice in faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death, 11If by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead.
Press on Toward the Goal
12Not as though I has already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before, 14I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded; and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you. 16Nevertheless whereunto we are come, that we be of the same mind, let us also continue in the same rule.
Citizenship in Heaven
17Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model. 18For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping), that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; 19Whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things. 20But our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself.
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