Matthew 12
Lord of the Sabbath
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
When Jesus' hungry disciples pick and eat grain on the Sabbath, Pharisees object that this is unlawful. Jesus cites David eating the sacred bread when he was hungry and priests working in the temple on the Sabbath, says that something greater than the temple is here, and calls the Son of Man lord of the Sabbath.
What does this mean?
The Sabbath, the seventh day (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), was a day of rest commanded in the Ten Commandments. 'Corn' (KJV) means grain, probably wheat or barley. The 'shewbread' (KJV) was the bread of the Presence, twelve loaves set in the sanctuary and eaten only by priests.
Historical context
Picking grain by hand from a neighbour's field was allowed (Deuteronomy 23:25); the question was whether plucking counted as reaping, one of the kinds of work forbidden on the Sabbath. David's story is in 1 Samuel 21:1–6.
Why does it matter?
Sabbath observance was a mark of Jewish identity, and its limits were debated among Jewish teachers. This scene and the next lead to the first plot against Jesus' life (12:14).
Editorial notes, not scripture.