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One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them.
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Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!"
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Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry,
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how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat?
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And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them?
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"There is far more at stake here than religion.
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If you had any idea what this Scripture meant - 'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual' - you wouldn't be nitpicking like this.
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The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."
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When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place.