Gospel (Mk 2,23-28) - At that time, on the Sabbath, Jesus was passing through fields of wheat and his disciples, as they walked, began to pick the ears of corn. The Pharisees said to him: «Look! Why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?". And he answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? Under the high priest Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the offering, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and he also gave some to his companions! And he said to them: «The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath! Therefore the Son of Man is also lord of the Sabbath."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

After the dispute about fasting, present in the passage read yesterday, the evangelist Mark tells us about the controversy regarding the Sabbath. The Pharisees see that Jesus' disciples, while walking in a wheat field on a Sabbath day, pick ears of corn to eat, thus transgressing the law of rest. The parallel passage from Matthew specifies the reason: the disciples "were hungry" (Mt 12:1). Immediately the Pharisees accuse the teacher of allowing the disciples to transgress the law. But Jesus defends the disciples and gives a similar example that happened to David, who, fleeing from Saul who wanted to kill him, entered the temple and together with his companions ate the blessed bread reserved for the priests. Jesus adds: «The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath!». This statement is already present in Jewish tradition. Various rabbis taught that excessive religious observance could endanger the fulfillment of the essence of the law. One of them observed: “Nothing is more important, according to the Torah, than saving human life… Even when there is only the slightest probability that a life is at stake, every prohibition of the law can be disregarded.” Jesus never violates the sanctity of the Sabbath. If anything, with authority, as happens on this occasion, he gives the authentic interpretation. In short, he shows what really matters for the law, namely the salvation of man. Man and his salvation are at the very heart of the Scriptures. The Lord, in fact, created the world and sent his own Son out of love for man. The believer, consequently, is not called so much to observe rules, but rather to respond to the love of God and to live with love towards others. This is why the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath: he came to save, not to condemn. He asks each of us to follow him on this path, that of love.