Mark 2:25-28 ESV
And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Can someone explain these verses to me? Why does Jesus use David as an example?
Hi, JFSurvivor.
Oftentimes when a text from one of the gospels is vague, we can glean a better understanding of the same by comparing it to the same account as recorded by another gospel writer who has given a little more information by which we can gain better insight into what has actually been said and why. I'm going to cite this same account as recorded in Matthew's gospel to show you what I mean and to hopefully answer your questions:
Matthew chapter 12
[1] 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.
[2] 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.
[3] But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
[4] 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?
[5] 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?
[6] But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
[7] But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
[8] For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Matthew's account is a bit fuller in that he also records Jesus' mention of the priests in the temple who profane the Sabbath (IOW, their priestly duties might require them to work on the Sabbath) and are blameless
AND in that he records Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees, "but if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice", which is actually a citation from the Old Testament book of Hosea. Before looking at that citation in its original context so that we might "know what it means" ourselves, I'd just like to quickly point out that Jesus had previously rebuked the Pharisees with this same exact citation:
Matthew chapter 9
[9] And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
[10] And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
[11] And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
[12] But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
[13] But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Let's now read this citation in its original context:
Hosea chapter 6
[1] Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
[2] After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
[3] Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
[4] O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
[5] Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
[6] For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
[7] But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Back in Hosea's day, the LORD "desired mercy and the knowledge of God" in that He wanted the people to acknowledge their sins against Him that He might have mercy upon them. He never got any such acknowledgement, but instead He got "sacrifice and burnt offerings" which were merely religiously or outwardly offered without any genuine repentance attached to them. Yes, those who had "transgressed the covenant" and had "dealt treacherously against Him" were OUTWARDLY AND HYPOCRITICALLY "RELIGIOUS" just the same...even as were the Pharisees of Jesus' day. Yes, as Jesus explained in Matthew 9:13, He had come to "call sinners to repentance", but the self-righteous Pharisees refused to repent.
Anyhow, I said all of that to say this:
Although Christ's disciples were doing that which wasn't "lawful" on the Sabbath day, their hearts were penitent before the Lord and they were therefore in a position to receive His mercy...very much UNlike the Pharisees who were condemning them. Jesus reminded the Pharisees out of their own law how that David likewise did that which was "unlawful" when he and his men were running from King Saul who wanted to kill David in that they ate the showbread which was only "lawful" for the priests to eat. Here's the account:
I Samuel chapter 21
[1] Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
[2] And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
[3] Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
[4] And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
[5] And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
[6] So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Christ gave this example not because eating the shewbread and eating corn are the same exact thing, but because they're similar in that they were both "unlawful". Again, it wasn't "lawful" for anybody but the priests to eat the shewbread and it wasn't "lawful" for the disciples to be plucking corn on the Sabbath in that such could constitute working on the Sabbath.
Anyhow, Christ's overall point was that HE DESIRES MERCY and it's merciful to allow hungry disciples to eat when they're hungry and also merciful to allow one who has been anointed of God to be king (David) to similarly eat when he is hungry. I'm also reminded of when Christ said the following to the Pharisees:
Matthew chapter 23
[23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
[24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Yes, the Pharisees were renowned for "straining at a gnat" or for noticing the tiniest infraction while they themselves were busy "omitting the weightier matters of the law", such as "MERCY", or while they were busy "swallowing a camel".
Anyhow, that was a bit wordy (sorry about that), but I hope that it helps.
