Luke 6:1-5 Meaning: The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath
1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”
3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”
5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
1And 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.
2And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3And 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;
4How 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?
5And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
1Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?
3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;
4how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?
5And he said unto them, The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
1And it came to pass, on the second-first sabbath, as he is going through the corn fields, that his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating, rubbing with the hands,
2and certain of the Pharisees said to them, `Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?'
3And Jesus answering said unto them, `Did ye not read even this that David did, when he hungered, himself and those who are with him,
4how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did take, and did eat, and gave also to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat, except only to the priests?'
5and he said to them, --`The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.'
1And it came to pass on [the] second-first sabbath, that he went through cornfields, and his disciples were plucking the ears and eating [them], rubbing [them] in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?
3And Jesus answering said to them, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did when he hungered, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered into the house of God and took the shewbread and ate, and gave to those also who were with him, which it is not lawful that [any] eat, unless the priests alone?
5And he said to them, The Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the Pharisees object to the disciples plucking grain? What did Jesus mean by 'Lord of the Sabbath'? Explore the meaning of Luke 6:1-5.
Context
This passage takes place early in Jesus' Galilean ministry, during what Luke calls the 'second-first Sabbath', a disputed phrase, likely a special Sabbath during the feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus and His disciples are walking through grainfields, and the hungry disciples pluck heads of grain and eat them, rubbing the husks away in their hands. Some Pharisees see this and accuse them of breaking the Sabbath. In Jewish tradition at the time, plucking and rubbing grain could be considered a form of harvesting and threshing, work forbidden on the holy day. Jesus defends His disciples by pointing to King David's hunger-driven violation of ritual law, and then makes a staggering claim: the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Key Words
Two small Greek words carry the weight of this story. The first is deuteroprōtō, translated 'second-first.' This word appears only once in the whole Bible, and no one is certain exactly what it means. Most likely it points to a Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a day already thick with sacred meaning. Yet even on this most holy day, Jesus says His disciples are not bound by the traditions the Pharisees have built around it.
The second word is exestin, 'it is lawful.' The Pharisees use it to frame their complaint: 'Why do you do that which is not exestin on the Sabbath?' They are asking about permission, about what the rule allows. Jesus does not answer on those terms. Instead, He changes the question entirely.
The third word is kurios, 'Lord.' Jesus says the Son of Man is kurios of the Sabbath. This is the same word the Greek Old Testament uses for God Himself. Jesus is not just making a clever point. He is claiming the authority that belongs only to the One who gave the law. The Sabbath belongs to Him, and He gets to say what it is for.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have drawn different emphases from this passage. Catholic and Orthodox teaching stresses that Christ, as Lord, is the true fulfillment of the Sabbath; the day of rest now points to the new creation in Him. Many Protestant commentators, such as Matthew Henry, focus on the principle that mercy and human need take precedence over ceremonial rules. Some evangelicals see here a model for resisting legalism in the church. Other traditions note that Jesus does not abolish the Sabbath but claims authority over it, inviting us to trust Him as the giver of true rest. All agree that the passage declares Jesus' divine authority and calls us to worship Him as Lord of every area of life.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, consider a 'rule' you follow that might be getting in the way of kindness. Maybe it is a personal rule about your schedule, or a church tradition that has become more important than people. When you see a genuine need, ask yourself: Is Jesus Lord of this? Not 'Is this allowed?' but 'Does this serve the Lord of the Sabbath?' Let that question guide your choices, especially on the day you set aside for worship.
Main takeaway: Jesus, the Son of Man, is Lord of the Sabbath, and He shows us that mercy and human need come before strict observance of religious customs.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus and His friends were walking through a field on a special day. They were hungry, so they picked some grain and ate it. Some people said they should not do that on the Sabbath. But Jesus said He is the Lord of the Sabbath, which means He decides what is best. He knew that helping hungry people is more important than strict rules.
For ages 9, 12
In Jesus' time, the Pharisees added many extra rules about what you could and could not do on the Sabbath. When the disciples plucked grain and rubbed it in their hands, the Pharisees said that was work, like harvesting and threshing, and therefore against the law. But Jesus defended them by using an example from David's life, when David and his men ate the sacred showbread because they were hungry. Jesus showed that the Sabbath was made to help people, not to burden them. And then He declared that He, the Son of Man, is Lord even of the Sabbath, meaning He has the final say over everything, including our days of rest and worship.
Questions People Ask
What is the 'second-first Sabbath' mentioned in Luke 6:1?
This phrase appears only in Luke and is difficult to interpret. Most scholars think it refers to a Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, perhaps the first Sabbath after the second day of the feast. The exact meaning is lost, but it likely indicates a particularly holy day, making the Pharisees' objection even sharper.
Why did the Pharisees think the disciples were breaking the Sabbath?
Jewish oral tradition had expanded the biblical command to rest on the Sabbath into a detailed list of forbidden actions. Plucking grain was seen as a form of reaping, and rubbing it in the hands as threshing, both considered work. The Pharisees held these traditions as binding, so they saw the disciples as lawbreakers.
Was it legal for the disciples to eat from someone else's field?
Yes. The law in Deuteronomy 23:25 allowed a traveler to pluck ears of grain by hand from a neighbor's field, as long as no sickle was used. The issue was not theft, but the fact that it was the Sabbath. The Pharisees' objection was entirely about the day, not the property.
Why did Jesus refer to David eating the showbread?
Jesus used a precedent from Scripture where David, when hungry, ate the consecrated bread that only priests were allowed to eat. This showed that human need could override a ritual command. Jesus' argument was that if David, a human king, could do that, then He, the Son of Man and Lord of the Sabbath, could certainly allow His disciples to eat on the Sabbath.
What does it mean that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath?
It means Jesus has ultimate authority over the Sabbath day. He created it, He determines its purpose, and He can decide how it should be observed. For Christians, this truth has often been understood as affirming Jesus' divinity and shifting the focus of rest and worship to Him.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study