The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of bondage. Their meaningless requirements had become a byword among other nations. Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of senseless restrictions. It was not to them a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honorable. The scribes and Pharisees had made its observance an intolerable burden. A Jew was not allowed to kindle a fire nor even to light a candle on the Sabbath. As a consequence the people were dependent upon the Gentiles for many services which their rules forbade them to do for themselves. They did not reflect that if these acts were sinful, those who employed others to perform them were as guilty as if they had done the work themselves. They thought that salvation was restricted to the Jews, and that the condition of all others, being already hopeless, could be made no worse. But God has given no commandments which cannot be obeyed by all. His laws sanction no unreasonable or selfish restrictions.

Jøderne havde i den grad forvansket loven, at de havde gjort den til et trældommens åg. Deres meningsløse krav var blevet årsag til almindelig omtale blandt andre folkeslag. Særlig var sabbatten blevet indhegnet med alle slags tåbelige indskrænkninger. For dem var den ingen fryd, Herrens hellige og ærefulde dag. De skriftkloge og farisæerne havde gjort dens overholdelse til en utålelig byrde. En jøde havde ikke lov til at tænde ild op eller til blot at tænde et lys på sabbatsdagen. Som følge heraf var folket blevet afhængigt af hedningerne med hensyn til mange tjenester, som deres forordninger forbød dem selv at udføre. De overvejede ikke, at hvis disse handlinger var syndige, så var de, der benyttede andre til at udføre dem, lige så skyldige, som hvis de selv havde gjort arbejdet. De mente, at frelsen var forbeholdt jøderne, og at de andres tilstand i forvejen var så håbløs, at den ikke kunne blive værre. Men Gud har ikke givet befalinger, som ikke kan adlydes af alle. Hans lov bifalder ingen urimelige eller egoistiske forbehold.