The Lord of the Sabbath

(1 Samuel 21:1–7, Mark 2:23–28, Luke 6:1–5)

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

3 [Jesus] replied Have you not read what David did when {he} and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and [he and his companions] ate the consecrated bread which was not lawful for [them] to eat, but only for the priests.

5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.

7 If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[fn] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”