A Sabbath Controversy Over Gleaning

Matthew 12:1-8

During that time, Jesus and his disciples went through some cornfields, and his disciples were hungry. They began to pluck the ears and eat the corn. When the Pharisees saw them, they said to Jesus, “Look, your disciples are doing something that is not lawful on the Sabbath.”

But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry—and those with him—how he went into the house of God and ate the showbread? It wasn’t lawful for him to eat that, nor for those with him, but only for the priests. Further, have you not read in the law, how on every Sabbath, the priests break the Sabbath, but are blameless?

But I tell you, one greater than the temple is here. But if you knew what ‘I desire mercy more than sacrifice,’ means, you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless. The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:23-28

And once, as he went through the cornfields on one of the Sabbaths with his disciples, they began to pluck the ears of corn as they walked. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing something unlawful on the Sabbath?”

And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was hungry and needed food—and the ones that were with him? How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar served as high priest? He ate the showbread, which wasn’t lawful to eat unless you are a priest—and he shared it with those that were with him? And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, therefore the Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:1-5

And it occurred on the other Sabbath, that he went through the cornfields and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, shelled the grain into their hands and eating it. And some of the Pharisees said to them, “why are you doing something unlawful on the Sabbath?”

And Jesus answered them and said, “Have you not read even this, what David did? He was hungry, as well as his men, and he went into the house of God, ate some of the showbread and shared it with his men. That’s not lawful to be eaten unless you are a priest. Then he said to them that the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath as well.