1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? 3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; 4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:1-11 KJV)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
These two stories, which also appear in Matthew 12:1 and Mark 2:23; 3:1, though they happened at different times, are placed together because both were meant to correct the scribes’ and Pharisees’ misunderstandings about the Sabbath. They emphasized physical rest more than the Law-giver intended.
Jesus defends his disciples for plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath when they were hungry (Luke 6:1). This account has a detail not found in the other Gospels—it occurred on the second Sabbath after the first, which some, like Dr. Whitby, interpret as the first Sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread, when the grain was nearly ripe. Whether this detail adds importance to the Sabbath in question or simply indicates the time of year is not essential.
We learn from this that Christ’s disciples should not be picky about food, especially on the Sabbath. They ate simple grain, which was enough for them (Luke 6:1). Yet the Pharisees criticized them for doing something they claimed was unlawful on the Sabbath (Luke 6:2), even though they themselves often indulged more on that day than any other.
Jesus justified his disciples against these accusations (Luke 6:3–4), reminding them of David, who ate the consecrated bread meant only for priests when he was in need. If even God’s own laws could be set aside in cases of necessity, how much more so man-made traditions?
The Sabbath allows for works of necessity, but we must not abuse that liberty. Jesus, while permitting necessary work, reminds us that the Sabbath is still his day (Luke 6:5). He is Lord of the Sabbath, and under his authority, its focus shifts from commemorating creation to honoring redemption. It becomes the Lord’s Day, observed on the first day of the week.
Jesus also justified doing works of mercy on the Sabbath. On that day, he went to the synagogue and taught, which is a proper Sabbath activity. Among his listeners was a man with a withered right hand (Luke 6:6). We don’t know if the man expected healing, but he came to learn. Those who want healing from Christ must be willing to learn from him.
Among the crowd were scribes and Pharisees, not there to learn, but to watch for a reason to accuse Jesus (Luke 6:7). They didn’t warn him or ask questions honestly, but waited to catch him healing on the Sabbath so they could prosecute him.
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, told the man to stand up (Luke 6:8). This tested the man’s faith and courage. Then Jesus questioned the Pharisees: was it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath (Luke 6:9)? Persecutors, who target others for doing good, are among the most unreasonable of people.
Despite knowing that his actions would provoke his enemies, Jesus healed the man with just a word (Luke 6:10). We should not let opposition stop us from doing what is right and helpful.
Instead of being convinced by this miracle, Jesus’ enemies became even more enraged (Luke 6:11). They were furious that they couldn’t stop him from doing good or prevent people from loving him. Their anger turned to madness, and they conspired about what else they could do to bring him down.
It is truly astonishing how wicked people can be toward the Son of God, and how patient he is to endure it.