“At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and this disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat. And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: ‘Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbat days.’ But he said to them: ‘Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him: how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only? Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame? But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. And if you knew what this meaneth: ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice:’ you would never have condemned the innocent. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.’”
Jesus, knowing the hunger of His followers, leads them through a corn field, knowing that they would pick and thereby enrage the religious authorities: “And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and had found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day… the Lord said to Moses: ‘Let that man die, let all the multitude stone him without the camp” (Numbers 15:32, 35). Jesus did this to elevate the Law to the law of merciful love: “Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: but we establish the law” (Romans 3:31), looking to soften the hearts of those that would condemn his followers by highlighting the needs of human nature. In the Law there is a look into this: “And when you reap the corn of your land, you shall not cut it to the very ground: neither shall you gather the ears that remain; but you shall leave them for the poor and for strangers. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:22), showing the Father’s providence for His little ones, and because of this the Pharisees did not accuse the disciples of theft. The Apostles, being these poor little ones: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3), did not leave Jesus for the sake of attending their bodily needs, but staying steadfastly by Him even when pressed by hunger, took what was necessary, and this is to encourage you to bring thoughts of your Beloved with you everywhere. To think always on Jesus, to bring love of Him into every facet of your life, this is true spirituality, not putting Him aside even for meals or other necessities: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31). The Pharisees then accuse these disciples of breaking the sabbath rest, and Jesus shows the true spirit of the Scriptures in His retort. When King David was fleeing from Saul, there was no bread except that offered for sacrifice, which was reserved for the Levitical priests: “And they shall be Aaron’s and his sons’, that they may eat them in the holy place: because it is most holy of the sacrifices of the Lord by a perpetual right” (Leviticus 24:9). This was an example of understanding the spirit of the Law rather than strict obedience to the letter, that what is merciful and loving may be done for the sake of those in need: “To do mercy and judgment, pleaseth the Lord more than victims” (Proverbs 21:3). Justice, referred to here as judgment, is often referred to throughout the Scriptures: “If thou followest justice, thou shalt obtain her” (Ecclesiasticus 27:9), and is to treat another person in the proper manner, which is as someone to be loved, and never as a problem, irritation, or a means to an end: “And God created man to his own image” (Genesis 1:27); “For this is the declaration, which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another” (1 John 3:11); “I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God” (Micheas 6:8). The priests also, by offering animal sacrifices and circumcising, break the sabbath without blame, because acts of worship call for them: “Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8). Greater than these actions is the love of Jesus, who is greater than the temple: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19); “And I saw no temple therein. For the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb” (Apocalypse 21:22). Jesus is the reality, the true presence of God’s love, for He is God: “And the Word was God” (John 1:1), not the image, residence, or sign: “And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord, and the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord” (3 Kings 8:10-11); “And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple. And he answer, said to them: ‘Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed’” (Matthew 24:1-2). Because these things would have been hard for those that heard it, Jesus gives an invitation to love, mercy, and compassion: “Bless the Lord, O my soul… who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion” (Psalm 102:2-4), rather than strict obedience to the letter. If the Pharisees approved of the mercy of Achimelech to David: “The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition” (1 Kings 21:6), they should too understand what the Apostles were doing and have compassion on them for being hungry. Jesus claims the authority to proper interpretation of what the sabbath is for, being the one that made it, that it should be a day of love, firstly towards God, and also in putting the weapons of life down for a day and enjoying time of worship and company. The title “Son of man” is also of note, because it is a title in which Jesus seems to delight. Though He is the Son of God: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), He is also the child of Mary, a descendent of sinners, a human amongst humans: “Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest before God, that he might be a propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). It shows that He did not begrudgingly become man to unshackle an enslaved people: “It repented him that he had made man on earth” (Genesis 6:6), but with joy and an abundance of love came down from heaven: “For while all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course, thy almighty word leapt down from heaven from thy royal throne” (Wisdom 18:14-15); “He, as a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way” (Psalm 18:6), sharing every experience with wonder, seeing life through man’s eyes with reverence. There is a spiritual meaning too, that the sabbath rest does not necessitate a lazy day, but a holy day, therefore you are called to put down the duties that bind you to temporal matters and satisfy your hunger for love by walking in the corn fields of God by meditating on the Scriptures, rubbing His words in your hands by pondering them deeply: “Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world” (John 6:32-33). Though this is a type of work, it satisfies the hunger of your soul for true bread: “Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance” (Psalm 77:25). Or, your sabbath can be any time you are not called into action, instead taking your free time to find the love of God in the Scriptures, enjoying the true leisure of divine love: “The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom” (Ecclesiasticus 38:25).