Banquet With The King: Are You Hungry?

Are you hungry for fresh grain?

At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" Matthew 12:1-8 (Underlined emphasis mine.)

Meditate on hunger—spiritual and physical. Read the passage three times.

Continuing on in the study of Jesus chronologically in the Gospels. This scripture from Matthew 12:1-8 is also found in Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5.

Jesus has healed sick and lame people. Now, it is still the Sabbath as He and a few of His hungry disciples are walking through a ripe grainfield. The logical thing is to pluck a few kernels of wheat, rub off the chaff, and eat the grain. I would. Those fresh morsels can be tasty. Chew them up well, and they are actually nutritious. Those Pharisees called that little harvesting the disciples did, work! Work on the Sabbath was forbidden. It was considered breaking the Law. Did the Pharisees acknowledge that David and his troops broke the law when they ate the consecrated bread?

Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him (David) the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. 1 Samuel 21:6

David and his hungry men ate the sacred bread from the altar. Jesus and His disciples ate grain on a sacred day. There’s no record of the Pharisees’ response to Jesus’ defense. What do you think they said to Jesus? They didn’t recognize that He was the Son of Man, the Lord. If they’d only known. At this point, Jesus quoted an Old Testament passage with which the Pharisees were likely familiar.

O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?" asks the LORD. "For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust. Hosea 6:4-7 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Show love or mercy. That is just what Jesus was teaching people to do. To love God and to love others. Love is merciful. He goes on to heal on the Sabbath. Keep reading. Can’t you just feel the anger rising in the Pharisees? Were they even listening to Him when He said, "For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!"?

Jesus’ disciples were physically hungry as they walked through that field. Were the Pharisees actually spiritually hungry and just not aware? Are you ever spiritually hungry, but just ignore it? The best cure for spiritual hunger is digging into God’s word. Where do you start? How about any one of the Gospels? Matthew was written by a Jew for the Jews, whereas Mark and Luke were written mainly for the Gentiles. John is more distinctively theological. Your choice. It is best to pray for insight and understanding before you read the scripture passage, and then dig in and see what God is trying to teach you. Your spiritual hunger will be satisfied.

What do we learn about Jesus from this scripture today? Jesus was merciful to His companions. He didn’t stop them from harvesting and eating the grain. He likely joined them. The Pharisees were in His face with “keeping the law,” but He defended the need to satisfy physical hunger. Jesus was declaring Himself “Lord of the Sabbath,” but the Pharisees didn’t listen. Were the disciples listening—or just hungry?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, thank you for satisfying my physical hunger with the bounty of food that You provide. I am continually amazed at the variety of foods that You’ve created. It’s time to start gardening—so I am also grateful for the seeds to grow these great plants that we will harvest later. Spiritual hunger is easily—but often humbly—satiated by Your living word. It’s new every morning and You speak clearly throughout the Bible with a freshness that is exciting. Thank you for providing Your guidance, wisdom, and understanding.

Verse of Salvation ~ He was saying to them, "The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Luke 10:2 AMP

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP),

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Banquet With The King

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Are You Hungry?

No comments:

Blog Archive