Luke 6:3-4

Luke 6:3-4

[3] And  Jesus  answering  them  said,  read  so much as  what  David  did,  himself  was an hungred,  and  they which  with  him;  [4] How  he went  into  the house  of God,  and  did take  and  eat  the shewbread,  and  gave  also  to them that were with  him;  which  not  lawful  to eat  the priests  alone? 

What does Luke 6:3-4 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jesus drew an analogy from Scripture (cf. 1 Samuel 21:1-9). His point was twofold, first that ceremonial traditions are secondary to divine service.
What David did was contrary to the Mosaic Law ( Leviticus 24:9), yet Scripture did not condemn him for what he did (cf. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20). What Jesus" disciples did was not contrary to the Mosaic Law, so the Pharisees should not have condemned them for what they did. Why did the Scriptures not condemn David for what he did? They did not because David was serving God. God permitted him to violate the ceremonial law, but not the moral law, without condemnation. In this sense he was above the law. (This may explain why God allowed David to perform some normally priestly functions such as offering sacrifices without rebuke.) Therefore the Son of Man ( Luke 6:5), who is superior to David, had the right to set aside a Pharisaic tradition, not a divine law, in the service of God.