Luke 6:1

Luke's account in this chapter reveals: (1) how Jesus refuted the false charge of sabbath-breaking (Luke 6:1-5); (2) that he angered the Pharisees by healing a man with the withered hand on the sabbath day (Luke 6:6-11); (3) Jesus' appointment of the apostles after a night of prayer (Luke 6:12-19); and gives (4) the content of one of Jesus' sermons (Luke 6:20-49).

REFUTING THE FALSE CHARGE OF SABBATH BREAKING

Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. (Luke 6:1)

On a sabbath ... There is strong textual evidence that this should read, "on a second-first sabbath" (English Revised Version (1885) margin); but the prevailing ignorance of what such an expression means has led to the rendition here. Even a great scholar like Robertson said, "We do not know what it means."[1] To any American boy raised on a farm, however, such an expression is not arcane at all. From April or May into late autumn, farmers customarily gathered for a local auction called "the first Monday," an event taking place each month during a certain season. Thus, the first-first Monday was in April or May, and the second-first Monday a month later, etc. Now there were definitely two first-sabbaths recognized by the Jews: "One at the commencement of the year, which would be called "first-first," and the other at the beginning of the ecclesiastical year, called "second-first."[2]

Plucked ... did eat, rubbing ... What Jesus' disciples did here was legal, being specifically permitted (Deuteronomy 23:25); thus, as Summers noted, "It was lawful to eat grain in this way when walking through another man's field."[3] The charge of illegality, brought in the next verse, had regard to when this occurred, and not to WHAT occurred.

[1] Herschel H. Hobbs, An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1966), p. 111..

[2] E. Bickersteth, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), Vol. 16, Luke, p. 139.

[3] Ray Summers, Commentary on Luke (Waco, Texas: Word Books Publisher, Inc., 1972), p. 7O.