Matthew 12:1-8 - Plucking Grain On The Sabbath

Matthew 12:1-8

1 At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3 He said to them, “Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him— 4 how he went into the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only? 5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:23-28

23 One Sabbath He was walking along [with His disciples] through the grainfields, and as they went along, His disciples began picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and his companions; 26 how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [and He has authority over it].”

Luke 6:1-5

1 One Sabbath while Jesus was passing through fields of standing grain, it happened that His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

3 Jesus replied to them, “Have you not even read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him— 4 how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful [for anyone] to eat except the priests alone, and [how he also] gave it to the men who were with him?” 5 Jesus was saying to them, “The Son of Man (the Messiah) is Lord [even] of the Sabbath.”