64. The Calling of Levi

Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32

Key Verse:  "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 5:32

Levi was another man who was not just what he appeared to be on the surface.  We are told that his tax collecting booth was near the lake, where the men, Jesus' disciples, fished.  The disciples, and most of the other people, who were at the lake that day to hear Jesus saw Levi as a crook, or at least as an unnecessary evil, the way many view the IRS today.  Levi was probably located near the lake to ensure that the taxes would be paid on the catch of the day. 

Tax collectors were in a class all by themselves anyway.  They were usually rich.  They became that way by over charging the commoner for their taxes and then pocketing the difference.  There was no accountability.  As long as Rome received what it was due it really didn't matter to the authorities whether the tax collectors were on the up and up or not.  Tax collectors were seen as oppressors, representatives of Rome, cheats and corrupt.  They were not the type of people that fishermen would normally want to associate with.  They were known for being morally bankrupt and unscrupulous, and they usually hung together because nobody else would have them. 

Jesus, however, saw something different in Levi.  He saw a heart yearning for Him.  "Follow me," he said to Levi, and Levi got up, left his ledgers behind and followed Jesus. 

In gratitude for the attention, Levi threw a party for all of his friends and associates and invited Jesus as the guest of honor.  So, we find Jesus, in the house of a sinner, eating with sinners and fellowshipping with them.  Maybe he told them stories about the Kingdom of God.  Maybe He shared with them a vision of a new life to come.  One thing is certain, He showed grace, much to the consternation of those who were religiously pure. 

The religious leaders, however, do not confront Jesus directly.  Instead, they attempt to discourage Jesus’ disciples, who may have been a little uncomfortable at Levi's house themselves.  "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners," they patronized? 

However, before self-doubt could become established in the hearts of His disciples, Jesus speaks up in His and their defense.  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  By remaining in their religious purity, the Pharisees were acting like doctors who sit in their offices, discussing illnesses, but never treating or helping anyone. 

Jesus came to get His hands dirty with the sin of our lives so that by drawing close, and touching many, He would be able to cure some.  Levi became one of those who was healed, not through religious condemnation, but through Christ's love, the same love that we can offer to the sinners, poor and needy, who surround us.  Jesus doesn't seem to be concerned about welcoming a tax collector to join four fishermen and a few others in His group.  With His help, they were going to work out getting along.  Barriers would come down as part of His mission. 

Hymn: "Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy"