1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Chapter 6 has two accounts where Jesus claimed authority over the Sabbath. Verses 1-5 are the first account of the Sabbath issue.
6:1
Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.
Jesus’ disciples rubbing grain with their hands created an issue with the Pharisees. Their action of rubbing the grain with their hands appeared to be harvesting on the Sabbath, violating the Mishnah (rules beyond Scripture).
6:2
And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees charged Jesus’ disciples with working on the Sabbath, breaking the fourth commandment. The Sabbath was a day of rest because that was the day God completed creation. However, the Pharisees created rules of their own making about the Sabbath that went far beyond God’s original purpose.
6:3
But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
Jesus harked back to David eating the consecrated bread in the sanctuary (1 Sa 21:1-6) to justify His disciples eating on the Sabbath. The Lord compared Himself to David. God never intended the law to become as restrictive as the Pharisees made it. In certain situations, it is permissible to supersede the law.
6:4
how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?”
David and his troops entered the house of God and ate the “showbread,” the bread of the presence. Only priests were allowed to eat this bread (Lev 24:5-9). This event took place while Ahimelech was a priest. David went to the tabernacle with his men to eat the bread of the presence, which was restricted to the priests. The priest recognized the exceptional situation David’s army was in. He allowed them to eat the bread of the presence, which was generally restricted to priests, to honor God on special occasions. The priest gave his blessing for the men to eat the “showbread.” Jesus’ point was to show the limits of the law; people should also apply it to people in need. It is possible to transcend the law in some cases.
This comparison by Jesus put the Pharisees in a dilemma. If they said David was wrong, they would undermine him and claim he and his men were guilty of violating the law.
This action by David highlighted Jesus’ authority as someone greater than David.
6:5
And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
The greater justification for eating on the Sabbath was that the Son of Man was “Lord of the Sabbath.” He instituted the Sabbath. Jesus’ authority was greater than David’s. He claimed to be God Himself. The Lord had authority over the Sabbath itself and could determine the limits of the law. If the Son of Man was Lord of the Sabbath, He was free to do with it as He pleased. The purpose of the Sabbath was to meet men’s needs, not to put an extraordinary burden on them.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.
APPLICATION:
Jesus launched the Sabbath as sovereign God. He gave the law and was the “Lord” over it. It is under His authority. He made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). It is one thing to set aside Pharisaic tradition but another to violate the essence of the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath to serve men. The law’s original purpose was to protect people from overwork and give them a season of rest. The Sabbath also celebrated the finished work of God for creation.
Ceremonial law must give way to a higher principle. Jesus has unique authority regarding the Sabbath.
We need to recognize that Sunday is not the Sabbath; the Sabbath means the seventh day, or Saturday. The Sabbath reminds us of the original creation; Sunday reminds us of the “new creation” in Christ (2 Co 5:21; Eph 2:10; 4:24). Sunday celebrates God’s grace. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ. The early church met on Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Co 16:1-2). Paul warned the Colossians not to emphasize the law but the Son (Col 2:16-17).
The Sabbath was designed for people (Mark 2:28). There is a limit to the sabbath law. God designed the Sabbath for a broader purpose than the strict limits of the law. The intentions of the law are not as narrow as the Pharisees made them to be. The law did not limit David’s men from eating showbread.
