While he was going through a field of grain on a Sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those (who were) with him were hungry? (How) he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions." Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." (Lk 6:1-5)
This story tells us who Jesus was. He was not holding any position in the society. He was not a priest in the Jewish society who took it upon themselves to teach the religion and guard the religion. He was not a Pharisee because a Pharisee had the duty of seeing the people practice the customs and traditions. He was not belonging to any pressure group that influenced the society.
Yet he had few followers. When He was challenged by the Pharisees regarding the practices of his disciples, Jesus falls back to the model of David. What David did in the presence of his followers was an exception to the normal rule. David claimed the right to do what he did because he was to be the king of Israel. He was already anointed by Samuel. As a king he claimed his rights. Jesus was also anointed as the Son of God at Baptism.
Jesus has been anointed as the king of New Israel. He is waiting for his time to reign as the king. Like David, he is also moving around with his disciples. In this story what mattered was not that the disciples broke the Sabbath rule, rather what mattered was who Jesus was. Jesus identity was revealed in this story. He is the Son of Man who was the Lord of the Sabbath.
