And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.(Mark 2:14-17)
Many in society mistake the calling of Jesus. We tend to do to one extreme or the other. This story is one of those events that people love to use to take their side on “What Would Jesus Do?”.
There are those who look at this story and use it as a basis to say that Jesus loves everyone. They would not be in error to say that. These are also those who would say that Jesus accepts us the way we are. They would not be in error to say this either. In Matthew Jesus said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matthew 9:12, emphasis added). Keep in mind that the purpose of the physician is to make one well, not to leave a person in sickness and death. In addition, I want you to remember what Jesus said to Levi. He saw Levi at the seat of customs. He saw Levi in his sin, and going about his life, doing what Levi does. He say Levi heading to death because of his lifestyle. Then he called Levi and said, “Follow me”.
Jesus’ calling of Levi recorded in Luke 5:27-32 gives us a similar tale. Jesus saw Levi at the seat of custom. The seat of custom was a booth that was set up in a particular place where the taxes to Rome could be paid. It was near the city gate so that those who passed through the gates could easily be levied. Those who collected the taxes were referred to as publicans. They were despised by the Jews because they worked for the occupying government of Rome, and they were seen as traitors to their people and thieves. They were rightly seen as oppressors. Through their efforts the local garrison was funded at the expense of the occupied people.
Levi (also known as Matthew) was one of these Jewish tax collectors who worked for the Roman government. He was considered ceremonially unclean because of his association to the pagan government. In addition, no good Jew would be found socializing with such a vile traitorous person. As a Jew he was also raised up to know God. However, because of his occupation and the resulting stigma he was not allowed to enter the synagogue. He was an outcast to his own people, and quite possibly to his own family.
Like all tax collectors he has a reputation for being a thief. This is because in addition to the taxes collected, the collector could also keep any excess revenue they collected. This was considered their wages by the occupation forces of the Roman Empire. Tax collectors were heavy handed and were authorized to use force, the threatening of imprisonment, slavery, and in some cases execution for non-payment. The fact that Levi could host such a great feast to welcome Jesus and to show him off in front of all his friends is evidence that Matthew was good at his job. Levi would have been properly viewed as an extortioner of his own people. The combination of all of these things would mean that the only people that Levi could associate with were people who were like himself, or worse.
Levi (who would be Matthew), evidently did have a desire somewhere in his heart to know God. This account does not tell us much about Levi’s secrets, but one thing is that Jesus knew his heart was seeking. Jesus came into this crowded area that was full of people trying to see him. Matthew knew that he could not dare to come to see the prophet from Galilee that everyone was talking about. But he had a desire to speak with him. But he knew that he was unclean and there was no way that a prophet would speak to him, a sinner beyond redemption.
But he did speak to him. Jesus came for Matthew. Jesus looked right at him, and said, “Follow me…”. Matthew’s response was immediate. He left what he was doing and followed. He was excited and joyous that Jesus had chosen to speak to him. The biggest news maker since John the Baptist was here and wanting to eat at his house. So, he did what every young hotshot would do. He had a party. He invited everyone he could. He wanted everyone to see his guest.
Jesus and his disciples were now eating and drinking with sinners. They were with the rejects of proper Jewish society. These were the dregs who everyone looked upon as unredeemable. Even they themselves has believed that they were just too broken for God to love. What Jesus saw was the same thing that he saw in the Garden of Eden… Adam was hiding in shame. He was naked and afraid. God sought him out, picked him up, and clothed him. Adam deserved death, but God showed mercy to Adam and delayed the onset of his death. He even promised him that he would redeem Adam back to himself (God) in Jesus. This was a mystery that Jesus was beginning to reveal. How the Son of God would become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Therefore, redeeming Adam and all of his descendants who would believe on Jesus as the Christ.
In this crowd at Levi’s home was undoubtedly a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. People from all walks of life, some important, some nobody knew their names. All were lost and needing to see the light, they all needed redemption. The mystery is finally revealed to us in full in the writings of Paul’s gospel. Paul charges that regarding sin, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile.
Romans 3:9-10 – What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:29 – Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
According to this Apostle, there is only one God, he the God of all people. God created man (Adam), and since all men come from Adam, then God is the God of all men, the only God.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men (Titus 2:14)
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 12:15)
There is the mystery, that one man brought sin in the world and it infected everyman since. In order to kill the infection and heal all of men, then if would take one man. This man would have to be sinless in order to do the job. Since no man can be sinless, it would have to be that God would become a man. Live sinlessly and pay the penalty for sin (death) so that Adam and his children could live with God. This is why Jesus is the only way to God.
Those who are highly religious cannot see the unfolding of the mystery in our daily lives. Our text reveals false piety. “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?” How quick are we to forget that WE are only here because of the mercies of God? Sometimes we forget that we could not earn our own way. We had to have Jesus come to us where we were. He had to call us out of our sinful lusts and evil desires. He is the one who had to show the light upon our path and gently guided us to the safety of his shelter. He is the physician that healed our souls form the damages of sin.
The Psalmist wrote,
Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
O Lord, let us never be so cold hearted to forget the redemption we have at the suffering of your holy servant, and the blood that he has shed for us all.
Jesus told the scoffers, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It is the sick who need the doctor, not those who are well. When we see a person who is diseased, do we tell them to turn away and to heal themselves before they can come to the doctor? Do we tell the blind to make your eyes whole so you can see the physician? No, we do not. We have urgent care clinics, emergency rooms, ambulances, and medivac aircraft for those who need such urgent care.
These hypocrites were put in those places and given those offices that they might guide those lost men, women, and children to God, not turn them away. They were to educate them on who God is, what his requirements were, but also to treat the wounded, anoint the sick, and pray for the dying.
But back to those who would say, What Would Jesus Do? Let’s see what he did when he say Levi. He said, “Follow Me”. Then he told the Pharisees, I have come to “call… sinners to repentance.”. Yes, Jesus met Levi in his sin, but, he did not leave Levi where he was. Jesus called him out of his sin. He called him to Repent, and to Follow. He called him to turn away from his old life and his old manner of living, thinking, believing. He called him to a new life. He called Matthew to follow his teachings. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) He called him to be discipled. Not to just make a confession of faith, but to act on that faith in following him and submitting to his teachings.
Jesus expected Levi to accept the truth of God. He expected Levi to die to his old sinful life. Paul wrote, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5) Jesus expected Mattthew to live in the newness of the righteousness of God in him, Jesus. Like a good physician expects his good patient to trust his diagnosis and follow his treatment plan, Jesus expects you to trust in him. You too can have a good prognosis if you obey the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.
Let us daily give thanks to Jesus Christ our God that he is our healer. He is the one who called us out of darkness and death into his eternal light. Let us no more walk in the bondage of sin that he delivered us out of. Let our hearts say, Yes Lord, you are truth, you will be done in me as it is in heaven.
The Way of Christ Ministries 