Burdened by a Blessing

Main Idea

The Sabbath was meant to bless, not burden—and Jesus is Lord over both the day and the need.

1 Samuel 21:1–6 ESV

1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

The setting of this story takes place immediately after one of Saul’s murderous tantrums. David’s best friend, Jonathan, advised him to flee, so he escaped to Nob where the High Priest was. Clearly, David and his men were not supposed to eat the holy bread, but they did it anyway. This raises an interesting question.

Was David right or wrong?

Passage

Mark 2:23–28 CSB

23 On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry—26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?” 27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

I - What is the Sabbath according to the Bible?

Established at creation. Although we might know about the Sabbath as one of the 10 commandments, it was actually established before the events of the Exodus. The Sabbath was set from the very beginning of time. Genesis 1-2 details the creation account and the period of time God used to create the known universe. God states in 2:2-3 that He created all things in six days and rested on the seventh day. He also blessed the seventh day and declared it a holy day because He rested on that day.

Integrated into the Ten Commandments. Later, God reiterated the importance of the Sabbath by including it in the law given at Mount Sinai. Not only did He incorporate it into His official written law, but it was also the most detailed of the ten.

Exodus 20:8–11 CSB

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

I’m confident you understand that God could have created everything instantly, but instead, He intentionally chose a 7-day period. He worked and then rested… not because the creation process wore Him out, but because He set it as a pattern of work and rest for His image-bearers. We are to work and labor for six days and reserve one day for rest.

Intended as a blessing of rest. The purpose behind the 7-day cycle is that it was meant to be a blessing for humans. While God is infinite and never tires, we are finite and can wear out. We need a day of rest to recover from all the work we do in the previous six days, but it’s not just a day to do nothing. It’s also a sacred day set aside for our rest and to worship the God who created such a beneficial and life-giving structure for us to follow. He modeled it, and we are to imitate it. It demonstrates His goodness and love for us, so we should spend that day reflecting on His goodness and love. In this way, the Sabbath was meant to be a day of joy, renewal, and worship.

However, as man always does, God’s great design gradually became corrupted and distorted into a process it was never intended to be.

II - What is the Sabbath according to the Pharisees?

Rule-keeping. By the time of Jesus, the Pharisees had taken the beautiful gift of Sabbath rest and buried it beneath a mountain of man-made rules. What began as a divine blessing—a day of joy, renewal, and worship—a reminder of God’s creation, covenant, and care—had become a crushing burden. Their aim may have been to protect and revere the holiness of the Sabbath, but their methods missed the heart of God. They were so preoccupied with the letter of the law that they missed the spirit of the law. The Jewish leaders and Rabbis cataloged thirty-nine categories of forbidden work on the Sabbath in what is called the Mishnah, a central text in Jewish tradition. The Mishnah is not Scripture but a written collection of oral traditions compiled around 200 A.D. by Jewish rabbis, though many of the practices were upheld in Jesus’ day. It was meant to preserve and codify centuries of rabbinic interpretation and application of the Torah—especially laws not explicitly spelled out in the biblical text. Think of it as a fence built around the Law to keep people from even getting close to breaking it.

Some of these banned activities were as simple as tying or untying a knot, writing more than one letter, making more than one stitch while mending clothing, walking too far, or even rubbing grain between your fingers. According to some traditions, you couldn’t carry a child, assist in childbirth, set a broken bone, or rescue a fallen animal unless a life was at immediate risk. If a building collapsed, you were allowed to clear just enough rubble to check for survivors—but if the person was already dead, you had to leave them until sunset. In their zeal to preserve holiness, the Pharisees created a system so strict that even compassion was often viewed as a compromise. While well-meaning, this oral tradition often went far beyond God’s commands and added burdens the average person couldn’t bear. Instead of bringing people closer to God, it fostered a religious system of fear, scrutiny, and pride—something Jesus challenges repeatedly in the Gospels.

So, when the Pharisees ask the question, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath,” they are likely seeing two things:

Jesus and His disciples walked too far through the grainfields. According to their rules, you cannot walk more than 1,999 steps on the Sabbath.

Plucking grain and rubbing it between their fingers was considered harvesting. Though the law permitted them to glean grain with their hands from the fields’ fringes (Deuteronomy 23:25), they interpreted it as harvesting, which was not allowed (Exodus 34:21).

As Jesus often does, He responds to the question with a question, an illustration, and a lesson. He does this in four distinct parts that lead to three beautiful theological truths about who He is. Therefore, we will spend the rest of our time examining His four-part response.

III - Part 1: David and His Men

It begins with a story about their most revered and honored hero: King David. Jesus starts this story with a question to the Pharisees: “Have you never read…?” An alternative way to ask that is: “Are you not aware of…” I imagine that question was quite offensive to the very people who were supposed to be experts in the law. However, even if they were offended, Jesus captured their full attention.

David’s Dilemma. Jesus’ story is from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 and recounts how his best friend, Jonathan, protected him from his father’s murderous rage. They devised a signal, and when it was given, David and his men had to flee to Nob, a city northeast of Jerusalem. During that time, David and his men were starving, but there was no food available, except for the consecrated bread that Ahimelech the priest had on hand.

In this section, it is important to highlight two things about this story.

First, we need to identify who this pertains to: King David.

Secondly, we should recognize the human need. David and his men needed food to survive both the journey and the prolonged retreat from King Saul’s rage.

IV - Part 2: The High Priest and the Law

Ahimelech would have had 12 loaves… one for each of the tribes of Israel… to be presented before the Lord on a Sabbath day, and only the priests could eat that bread according to Lev. 24:5–9:

Leviticus 24:5–9 CSB

5 “Take fine flour and bake it into twelve loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts. 6 Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a food offering to the Lord. 8 The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a permanent covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the food offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule.”

David requested five of them to feed himself and his companions. With a few additional stipulations, Ahimelech provided him with the loaves... and Goliath’s sword, which is awesome, but not relevant to this story.

There are two more elements we should take note of:

This was a clear violation of Levitical law.

God didn’t judge or punish David because of this decision.

As a quick side note, you may have noticed that Jesus mentions Abiathar, while the account in 1 Samuel refers to Ahimelech. One is the father, and the other is the son. Since the son was more well-known and was the only one to survive Saul’s slaughter of the priests after hearing that Ahimelech helped David, he would have been the better name for people to remember the story by. Just a quick apologetic tidbit for you.

These four elements are central to the story's core idea. God did not judge David, nor did any Rabbi. This was seen as an exception—a provision made out of urgent need. The spirit of the law was about providing for the person's needs, even though technically, the letter of the law was broken. The Pharisees would have agreed with that interpretation of 1 Samuel 21, which referred to a clear law violation.

But Jesus and His disciples didn’t actually break God’s law. They might have traveled more than 1,999 steps or “harvested” grain according to the Pharisee’s definition, but it was exactly that… the Pharisee’s rules. Jesus broke two of their cherished 39 fence pickets that they made up to guard the one and only rule from God to keep the Sabbath holy by resting and worshipping.

The real danger of legalism in the church today is that it often starts with good intentions—much like the Pharisees. We might shake our heads at their strictness, but are we really so different? The Pharisees aimed to honor God’s law, but over time, they became more focused on defending their rules than on helping people. To them, even acts of compassion or common sense—like setting a broken bone or feeding the hungry—were seen as violations if they didn’t follow the exact protocol. That’s what Jesus is exposing in His reference to David eating the consecrated bread. God never created His law to hurt His people but to bless them. When human rules replace divine mercy, we lose the heart of God.

And so, we must ask ourselves: where have we allowed our traditions, preferences, or opinions to become barriers rather than bridges... and burdens rather than blessings? When someone stumbles into church with a messy past or a pressing present need, do we meet them with grace—or with disapproval? Do we hold onto the rigid aspects of the law, or do we reflect the compassion of Christ? Jesus didn’t dismiss the law in this confrontation—He fulfilled it. But He refused to overlook the individual amid the sea of man-made rules. May we be a church that stays true to the truth, yet keeps our hands and hearts open to people—especially when they’re hurting and in need.

V - Part 3: The Purpose of the Sabbath

Now that we have established what the Sabbath is, let’s see how Jesus explained its purpose. Here, he says, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” If we just rewind to Exodus and the giving of the law, we might get this backwards. The law was given to govern the people according to God’s standards. Essentially, the law had authority over the people because they were expected to obey it. That would mean the opposite of Jesus’ statement would be true.

However, if we rewind the tape all the way back to the beginning, we see God’s statement in the creation account. Here, Sabbath was given as a blessing of rest and worship. It was instituted for the benefit of man’s work and rest cycle, as well as a day devoted to honoring the One who made all things. In essence, it was a beautiful time of communion… like a blissful taste of what Eden must have been like when Adam walked with God. A time when Adam still had work to do (tending) but had no barriers to his relationship with the God of the garden.

Now, that concept was lost. Instead of delighting in abiding with God, it was twisted into an anxiety-driven attempt to appease God. The Pharisees had turned the purpose of the Sabbath upside down. Therefore, Jesus broke the Pharisees' man-made rules and confronted them to set it right again.

And to bring the whole discussion to a powerful close, Jesus made yet another irrefutable claim of divine authority… three in fact!

VI - Part 4: The Authority of the Lord of the Sabbath

The 3-fold authority of Christ is directly and indirectly stated here.

1- Descendant of David. By referencing King David and comparing that historical account with Jesus's current situation, a clear parallel is being drawn. It’s evident that the issue raised concerns Jesus and His followers breaking the Mosaic law, and that on the Sabbath… is quite similar to the case of David and his followers breaking the Mosaic law by eating bread meant for the priests on the Sabbath. When this is combined with the claim of Messiah-hood, it shows that Jesus is claiming to be the mighty descendant of David who will rule over an eternal kingdom, and of whom David himself called ‘my Lord’ (Mark 12:36).

2- Son of Man. Jesus’ identity as the Messiah is emphasized by His second use of the title ‘Son of Man,’ which is derived from Daniel 7, where the eternal kingdom is given from the ‘Ancient of Days’ to the ‘Son of Man.’ Because of His divine right to rule, Jesus is the only authoritative interpreter of the Old Testament laws. His authority and only His authority stand firm.

3- Lord of the Sabbath. These two authoritative truths lead to the third and final revelation: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. At first glance, this may not seem like a big deal, but consider the implications of such a statement. First, Mark doesn’t quote Jesus as saying “I, Jesus of Nazareth, am Lord of the Sabbath.” He says, “The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” If the Son of Man is the prophesied Messiah who rules and reigns over an eternal kingdom, then He is Lord over every part of that Kingdom. He has total sovereignty. He has authority over the terrain, the birds, fish, animals, men, women, children, rules, regulations, and laws… even the Sabbath. Which, again, is not just a Mosaic law but a creation law… and if Jesus is this Son of Man, then He is Lord over creation. And, if He is Lord over creation, He must have existed before creation, and that is exactly what the Apostle John states in his gospel when he says that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,”.

Jesus can be Lord of the Sabbath because He is the God who created all things.

Colossians 1:15–20 CSB

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

🔥 Application Points:

1. Sabbath is a blessing, not a burden.

Let the rhythm of Sabbath remind you that your value isn’t in your performance but in His provision. Let it recalibrate your week, refresh your soul, and deepen your worship. The Sabbath is not a test to pass, but a gift to receive—and Jesus is the one who hands it to you.

Live in the freedom Jesus secured for you—not in fear of missing man-made standards.

➤ Reflect: : Do I resist rest because I think God needs my hustle more than He desires my heart?

2. Submission to the Lord of the Sabbath.

To follow Jesus as Lord means yielding not just your actions, but your interpretations. Like the Pharisees, we can cling to tradition, preferences, and even theology in ways that resist His reign. If Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, then He is Lord over every part of your life.

Don’t compartmentalize His authority. He’s not just Lord on Sunday—He’s Lord over your calendar, your convictions, your compassion, and your choices. Bow to His rhythm, not the world’s or your own.

➤ Reflect: Am I submitting to Jesus—or to the systems I’ve built around Him?”

3. Prioritize Compassion Over Legalism.

God’s law was always meant to lead us toward love. When your obedience causes you to overlook the hurting, it’s not holiness—it’s hard-heartedness. You can be right in theology and wrong in posture.

Let compassion reshape your convictions and recognize that restoration and reconciliation are the mission.

➤ Challenge: Have you ever stood for biblical truth in a way that made you right—but not loving?