Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)(B)

²³ One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.^{(C) 24} The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”^(D)

²⁵ He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? ²⁶ In the days of Abiathar the high priest,^(E) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.^(F) And he also gave some to his companions.”^(G)

²⁷ Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,^(H) not man for the Sabbath.^{(I) 28} So the Son of Man^(J) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Greatest Commandment^(A)

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law^(B) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[b](C) 31} The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c](D) There is no commandment greater than these.”