ELL Bible Study: Luke 6:1-5 — The Question about the Sabbath

This Bible study lesson is for people who are learning English (ELL or ESL students). It is made for advanced beginner and intermediate English learners. Children who speak English or adults who prefer easy English may also enjoy it and learn from it, although I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 5:33-6:11 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 6:1-5 Printable Discussion Questions

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is one of your favorite things to do on a day off or a day to rest?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a time when people asked Jesus why his disciples picked food on a special day called the Sabbath. We will hear Jesus’ wise answer and learn what it means to honor God with our hearts, not just rules.

Vocabulary Lists

Vocabulary List Using the ERV Bible Translation

Against — Not allowed by a rule or law.
Answered — Said something back to a question.
Ate — Put food in the mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.
Bread — A food made from flour and water, baked in an oven.
David — A famous king of Israel in the Bible.
Eat — To put food in your mouth, chew, and swallow it.
Field — An open piece of land, often used to grow crops.
Followers — People who listen to and follow a leader or teacher.
Gave — Let someone have something.
God’s House — The Temple or the place where people worship God.
Grain — Small seeds people eat, like wheat or rice.
Hands — The parts of your body at the ends of your arms, used for holding things.
Hungry — Wanting or needing food.
Law of Moses — The rules God gave to Moses for how people should live.
Lord Over — To have complete power or authority over something.
Offer — To give something to someone.
One Time — One single instance or moment.
Only — Just that one thing; no others.
People — A group of men, women, or children.
Pharisee — A religious leader in the Bible who taught people to follow God’s laws.
Pick — To take something off a plant by hand.
Priest — A person who leads people in worship to God.
Read About — To see and understand the words written in a book.
Rub — To press and move something back and forth with your hands.
Sabbath Day — A special day of rest and worship.
Said — Told someone something.
Some — A few people or things, but not all.
Son of Man — A name Jesus used to call himself.
Took — Picked up or held something and moved it.
Walking Through — Moving across an area by taking steps.
Went Into — Past tense of go into; entered a place.

Vocabulary List Using the GNT Bible Translation

Against — Not allowed by a rule or law.
Began — Started to do something.
Bread — A food made from flour and water, baked in an oven.
David — A famous king of Israel in the Bible.
Disciples — People who follow a teacher or leader and learn from them.
Eat — To put food in your mouth, chew, and swallow it.
Field — An open piece of land, often used to grow crops.
Gave — Let someone have something.
Grain — Small seeds people eat, like wheat or rice.
Hands — The parts of your body at the ends of your arms, used for holding things.
Heads of Wheat — The top parts of a wheat plant where the grain grows.
House of God — A place where people worship God, like a church or temple.
Hungry — Wanting or needing food.
Law — A rule made by God or people that tells us what we should or should not do.
Lord — A name showing respect for God.
Pharisee — A religious leader in the Bible who taught people to follow God’s laws.
Pick — To take something off a plant by hand.
Priest — A person who leads people in worship to God.
Question — Something you ask when you want to know more.
Rub — To press and move something back and forth with your hands.
Sabbath — A special day of rest and worship.
Son of Man — A name Jesus used to call himself.
Took — Picked up or held something and moved it.
Walk — To move by taking steps with your feet.
Wheat — A plant with grain that people use to make bread and other foods.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a time when Jesus and his disciples were walking through wheat fields on a Sabbath. The Sabbath was a special day when people rested and did not work, as a way to honor God. While they were walking, the disciples picked some heads of wheat, rubbed them in their hands, and ate the grain because they were hungry.

Some Pharisees saw this and became upset. The Pharisees were religious leaders who believed people must follow every little rule about the Sabbath. They asked Jesus why his disciples were doing something not allowed on the Sabbath.

Jesus answered them with a story from long ago. He reminded them about King David, a man loved by God. One time, David and his men were very hungry. They went into the house of God and ate bread that was only for the priests. God did not punish them because they needed food.

Then Jesus said something very important. He told them that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. This meant that Jesus has the power to rule over the Sabbath and knows what is good and right.

This passage shows us that God cares about people’s needs. Jesus teaches us that loving and helping people is more important than only following rules.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Text from the ERV Bible Translation

Jesus Is Lord Over the Sabbath Day
6 One time on a Sabbath day, Jesus was walking through some grain fields.
His followers picked the grain, rubbed it in their hands, and ate it.
2 Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing that?
It is against the Law of Moses to do that on the Sabbath day.”
3 Jesus answered,
“You have read about what David did when he and the people with him were hungry.
4 David went into God’s house. He took the bread that was offered to God and ate it.
And he gave some of the bread to the people with him.
This was against the Law of Moses, which says that only the priests can eat that bread.”
5 Then Jesus said to the Pharisees,
“The Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath day.”
Luke 6:1-5 (ERV)

Text from the GNT Bible Translation

The Question about the Sabbath
1 Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples began to pick the heads of wheat, rub them in their hands, and eat the grain.
2 Some Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what our Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry?
4 He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread.”
5 And Jesus concluded, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Luke 6:1-5 (GNT)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 6:1-5 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 6:1-5 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 6:1-5 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 6:1-5 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 6:1-5 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 6:1-5 (ESV)

Luke 6:1-5 Printable ERV Passage

Luke 6:1-5 Printable GNT Passage

Luke 6:1-5 Printable Discussion Questions

Comprehension Questions

Where were Jesus and his disciples walking?
What did the disciples do in the wheat fields?
Why did the Pharisees become upset?
What was the Sabbath?
What story did Jesus tell about David?
Who was allowed to eat the special bread in the house of God?
Why did David and his men eat the bread?
What did Jesus say about the Son of Man?
What does it mean that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath?
What can we learn from Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees?

Application Questions

What do you like to do when you need to rest?
Why is it important for people to have food when they are hungry?
Have you ever helped someone when it was difficult to follow a rule? What happened?
How can we remember to care for people’s needs and not only follow rules?
How can we honor God in our hearts, not just by rules?

Theological Insights

God gave the Sabbath as a gift to people for rest and worship.
Jesus is the Son of Man and has the power to rule over the Sabbath.
God cares about people’s needs and hearts more than following rules without love.
It is good to help others, even on special days of rest.
Jesus teaches us that God’s laws are made for our good.