Let's break down Luke 6:1:
"Now on the second Sabbath after the first...": This is a somewhat debated phrase. Some interpretations include:
It could mean the second Sabbath of the religious year, beginning with Passover.
It could refer to the second Sabbath after a specific, unnamed special Sabbath.
Ultimately, the exact calendar date is less important than the fact that it was a Sabbath.
"...he was going through the grain fields.": Jesus and his disciples were walking through fields of grain. This was a common way to travel between places.
"His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.": This is the key action. The disciples were hungry, so they picked heads of grain, rubbed them to separate the kernels from the chaff, and ate the kernels. This was technically allowed under Jewish law (Deuteronomy 23:25), which permitted people to eat from a field's produce as they passed through, but not to harvest it with a sickle.
The Significance
The verse sets the stage for a conflict. The actions of the disciples, while arguably permitted under a specific interpretation of the law, will be used by the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath. The real issue wasn't hunger, but the Pharisees' strict interpretation of Sabbath laws, which they believed prohibited even the smallest work, including separating grain.
In essence, the verse is about:
Hunger and practical needs: The disciples were hungry and took action to satisfy that need.
The Sabbath: The Sabbath was a sacred day of rest in Judaism, and there were strict rules about what could and could not be done.
Conflicting interpretations of the law: The Pharisees had a very strict interpretation of the Sabbath laws, while Jesus and his disciples seemed to have a more lenient one.
Foreshadowing conflict: This incident sets the stage for Jesus's teachings on the true meaning of the Sabbath and his authority over it. He would eventually argue that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27), meaning that the purpose of the Sabbath was to serve human needs and not to be a burden.
Let's break down Luke 6:1:
"Now on the second Sabbath after the first...": This is a somewhat debated phrase. Some interpretations include:
It could mean the second Sabbath of the religious year, beginning with Passover.
It could refer to the second Sabbath after a specific, unnamed special Sabbath.
Ultimately, the exact calendar date is less important than the fact that it was a Sabbath.
"...he was going through the grain fields.": Jesus and his disciples were walking through fields of grain. This was a common way to travel between places.
"His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.": This is the key action. The disciples were hungry, so they picked heads of grain, rubbed them to separate the kernels from the chaff, and ate the kernels. This was technically allowed under Jewish law (Deuteronomy 23:25), which permitted people to eat from a field's produce as they passed through, but not to harvest it with a sickle.
The Significance
The verse sets the stage for a conflict. The actions of the disciples, while arguably permitted under a specific interpretation of the law, will be used by the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath. The real issue wasn't hunger, but the Pharisees' strict interpretation of Sabbath laws, which they believed prohibited even the smallest work, including separating grain.
In essence, the verse is about:
Hunger and practical needs: The disciples were hungry and took action to satisfy that need.
The Sabbath: The Sabbath was a sacred day of rest in Judaism, and there were strict rules about what could and could not be done.
Conflicting interpretations of the law: The Pharisees had a very strict interpretation of the Sabbath laws, while Jesus and his disciples seemed to have a more lenient one.
Foreshadowing conflict: This incident sets the stage for Jesus's teachings on the true meaning of the Sabbath and his authority over it. He would eventually argue that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27), meaning that the purpose of the Sabbath was to serve human needs and not to be a burden.