Under the Law farmers were to leave grain at the edges of the field and people could eat this (Deuteronomy 23:25), especially the poor (Leviticus 19:9,10). So this was not what upset the Pharisees, rather it was the fact that the disciples were doing this on the Sabbath. Notice that Jesus did not seem to be bothered by this.
Jesus' reply is to remind them of something that David did. He chose David because David was a highly respected figure in the Bible. There was a time (1 Samuel 21:6) when David was on the run, and the priests gave him and his men some of the consecrated bread because it was all that was available. Under the Law the consecrated bread was meant to be eaten only by the priests (Leviticus 24:5). Then Jesus points out that the priests themselves break the Sabbath in the course of their duties on the Sabbath.
As humans we have a horrible tendency to get legalistic about things. This incident should be a warning to us about any legalistic interpretation we put on parts of the Bible, for we will find that God is not as legalistic as we are! Moreover, we then find that we put ourselves in the position of judge and start considering ourselves better than others, and using the "law" to achieve our own ends, which is what the Pharisees were doing.
Then Jesus gives them two key principles. First, He is greater than the temple and is Lord of the Sabbath. We need to focus on the person of Jesus Christ above all else. Then there is the principle that mercy is better than sacrifice. They needed to see the spirit of the Law.
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