In Ruth we read about Ruth picking up the gleanings from the fields. It was perfectly legitimate for people to pick up grain from the edges of the fields (Deut 23:25), what upset the Pharisees is that the disciples were doing this on the Sabbath, and under their definitions this constituted work.
Jesus refers them to an incident in David's life. He chose this incident because it involved David, who was greatly respected in Judaism. Indeed the Messiah was to be a son of David. Also the incident was recorded in the Scriptures. David and his companions committed what was, if anything, an even worse crime. They ate bread that was consecrated and should only have been eaten by the priests. Notice also that Jesus is implicitly bringing Himself into the picture here. The Pharisees had criticised His disciples, but the real target was Jesus Himself. In talking about "David and his companions" Jesus is bringing Himself into the matter.
In His parting words in this incident Jesus bring Himself even more into the picture. He attacks the whole Pharisaical understanding of the Sabbath, and declares Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. God did not give the Sabbath law in order to impose a burden on people, but as a day for bringing refreshment to man. This teaches us so many things about interpreting the Bible properly, and warnings about our human tendency to make things legalistic (it was not just the Pharisees who were prone to this). On a literalistic interpretation of the Bible one would be inclined to side with the Pharisees, but Jesus says they were wrong and had misunderstood Scripture. When we get hold of a Scripture and turn it into a legalistic law we turn what should be a source of life into a well of death.
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