238th Post Jesus on the Proper Role of the Law Con't. - Matthew 12: 3 - 8.

Matthew 12: 3 - 8; Mark 2: 25 - 28; Luke 6: 3-5.
Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice," you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Jesus spoke these words about 1.1/2 to 2 years into His earthly ministry. In order to understand this passage your knowledge of the Old Testament would be a big help. David is a reference to King David before He was King, but being persued by King Saul the story is found in 1 Samuel chapter 21. David and his men went to Nob, where the Tabernackel was, this is what is meant by the word temple. The showbread, are the twelve loaves, one for each tribe of Israel. These were baked and ate by the Priests only as per Law in Leviticus. The High Priest, who was related to Eli the High Priest (the man in that position when Samuel was born), had compassion on David and could see David was hungry and offered him and his men the bread to eat. Saul would later kill all of these priests for helping David. This would fulfill the prophecy that Samuel told Eli, that the Priesthood would be ripped from his family. Jesus tells them that He is greater than David and greater than the Sabbath. Jesus as God, indeed is greater than all created beings, Jesus being the creator and all.