4. Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

Luke 5:27-32

After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸He left everything, and rose up and followed him.

Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. ³⁰Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Mark 2:13-17

He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.

He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. ¹⁶The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Key Verses:

(Levi/Matthew) left everything, and rose up and followed him. Levi made a great feast for him in his house. (Luke 5:28-29)
Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30)
Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)

Discuss:

What would it have meant for Matthew to leave everything to follow Jesus?
How did he show his appreciation to Jesus?
Jesus response to the criticism of the Pharisees – “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.”

Insights:

Publican: One who farmed the taxes (e.g., Zacchaeus, Luk_19:2) to be levied from a town or district, and thus undertook to pay to the supreme government a certain amount. In order to collect the taxes, the publicans employed subordinates (Luk_5:27; Luk_15:1; Luk_18:10), who, for their own ends, were often guilty of extortion and peculation.
In New Testament times these taxes were paid to the Romans, and hence were regarded by the Jews as a very heavy burden, and hence also the collectors of taxes, who were frequently Jews, were hated, and were usually spoken of in very opprobrious terms. Jesus was accused of being a “friend of publicans and sinners” (Luk_7:34). (Easton Bible Dictionary)

Take-Aways:

What lessons can we take away from this story? – REPLY IN COMMENTS!