The Question about the Sabbath: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 6:1-5

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it. 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

Luke 6:1-5 Printable ERV Passage

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 for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

against: (preposition) Not allowed by a set of rules or a law.
God’s house: (phrase) A holy place, like the Tabernacle or the Temple, where people go to meet with God.
grain field: (phrase) A wide piece of land where plants like wheat or barley are grown for food.
hungry: (adjective) Needing or wanting food.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
over: (preposition) To have power or authority across something.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
rub: (verb) To move your hand over something.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

against: (preposition) Not allowed by a set of rules or a law.
ate: (verb) To have put food in your mouth and swallowed it.
bread: (noun) A common food made from flour and water.
David: (noun) A great king of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
God’s house: (phrase) A holy place, like the Tabernacle or the Temple, where people go to meet with God.
grain field: (phrase) A wide piece of land where plants like wheat or barley are grown for food.
hungry: (adjective) Needing or wanting food.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
Moses: (noun) A great leader of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
offer: (verb) To give something to someone.
over: (preposition) To have power or authority across something.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
pick: (verb) To pull a part of a plant off with your fingers.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
read: (verb) To look at words and understand them.
rub: (verb) To move your hand over something.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

about: (preposition) Telling what a thing or person is like.
against: (preposition) Not allowed by a set of rules or a law.
answer: (verb) To speak or write back to a question.
ate: (verb) To have put food in your mouth and swallowed it.
bread: (noun) A common food made from flour and water.
David: (noun) A great king of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
eat: (verb) To put food in your mouth and swallow it.
field: (noun) An open area of land.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
gave: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s house: (phrase) A holy place, like the Tabernacle or the Temple, where people go to meet with God.
grain field: (phrase) A wide piece of land where plants like wheat or barley are grown for food.
hand: (noun) The part of the body at the end of the arm.
house: (noun) A building where people live.
hungry: (adjective) Needing or wanting food.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
Moses: (noun) A great leader of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
offer: (verb) To give something to someone.
one time: (phrase) A phrase used to talk about something that happened in the past.
only: (adjective) Just one and no more.
over: (preposition) To have power or authority across something.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
pick: (verb) To pull a part of a plant off with your fingers.
punish: (verb) To make someone suffer for doing something wrong.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
read: (verb) To look at words and understand them.
rub: (verb) To move your hand over something.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
some: (adjective) An amount that is not specific.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
through: (preposition) Moving from one side to the other.
took: (verb) To have carried or moved something from one place to another.
walk: (verb) To move by putting one foot in front of the other.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.

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.

Jesus Is Lord Over the Sabbath Day
1 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)

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

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.