Luke 5:27-32
"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:27-32.
In our text, Christ calls Levi to follow Him. Most of us know about Levi from his other name, Matthew. Levi is one of the twelve apostles, and wrote the Gospel according to Matthew. Most of us know Levi as an apostle. We tend to forget that Levi wasn't always an apostle. This is similar with how many of us know each other in the local church. We know the person who now sits on the pew, teaches or preaches Scripture, sings songs, etc., and for some reason we tend to think that that person has always been a Christian. But obviously that is not the case, and that is surely not the case with Levi. Who was Levi before Jesus Christ interrupted his life?
Levi was a publican. A publican, telones, is a tax farmer, i.e. collector of public revenue. There were different types of tax collectors. You could actually buy into a tax franchise. In doing so, you would have different people working for you who would have specific tasks. Some would bring the tax money to your place of business, others would count it, you would take your share, and send to Rome what they required. These people would be despised, but Levi's position was hated more than the rest. Levi was actually the one who took your money. You saw Levi face to face. You would know his voice. Every time you saw or heard him your hatred for him would grow. The people hated tax collectors, but what made it worse is that Levi was one of them, and they viewed him as a traitor. Levi was willing to sell out himself, and his people, to get what would bring him temporal happiness. Levi had an addiction, and he was willing to do whatever he had to do to satisfy that addiction. What he did not realize is that the addiction could never be satisfied. What was Levi's addiction, money? Money is what drove Levi to do what he did (I Timothy 6:9-10, Proverbs 23:4-5).
The desire for riches mixed with an evil heart produced a person that idolized himself. Levi viewed people as a means to an end, and that end was self-gratification. Levi used people to get what he wanted. With much money would come much power and popularity. People just like Levi would gravitate to him. Levi was living his life for himself. He was not looking for the Redeemer, he was not looking for salvation, he was not looking for forgiveness, then Jesus walked by one day and changed his life forever. Jesus simply said, "Follow me." In verse 27 "Follow" means specifically, to follow a teacher, i.e. to be or become the disciple of someone. Note that there wasn't any music playing during an invitation, the atmosphere wasn't prepped by some sob story, and Levi didn't even pray a public prayer. "And he left all, rose up, and followed him," Luke 5:28. Levi's life was no longer the same.
One of the first things we want to do when the Lord saves our souls is tell everyone else about Him and what He has done for us. It seems that we are never closer to our lost friends than when Jesus first saves us. We have a hunger for God's Word, and as we dwell on the Scriptures we are being changed every day. We love our friends, but we love the Lord more and we are constantly fleeing from the appearance of sin. Our friends on the other hand love us, but they are not fleeing from the presence of sin, but rather are still chasing it. As a result old friends who continue to love each other, grow apart. Before that happens we have a great opportunity to share Christ with them. This is exactly what Levi did.
"And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them," Luke 5:29. Jesus Christ saved Levi and used Levi to reach others who were living the same lifestyle Levi lived. Can you picture the crowd in Levi's house? Can you hear the conversations? When you have a gathering of people who are outcast and despised and are living in the depths of sin, you have a group of people who are fulfilling their lustful desires. I am not saying they were acting out their sinful deeds in front of Jesus, but this is the type of people who are in Levi's house. They need to hear about Jesus Christ! He is the only One Who can forgive them of all their sins and make them a new creation in Him. He is the only One Who can take away their guilt and deliver them from the wrath to come. Society may look on them as the lowest of the low, but these are the same kinds of people that Christ saves (I Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21)! These people thirsted after an addiction that can never satisfy, and sitting their in the midst of them is the only One Who can give them what will satisfy them (John 4:13-14). Jesus Christ is in the midst of these people, but He is not condoning their sin, but instead is calling them to repentance. The religious crowd would just cut them off and look down on them and mock them (Luke 18:9-14).
"But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners," Luke 5:30. The religious leaders are trying to heavily press on the disciples their way of thinking. They would never associate with publicans and sinners, and if you want to be religious like they are you won't either. The scribes and pharisees had a hatred for the mission field. They only wanted people who were just like them. On the outside they looked very religious, but on the inside they were worse than the publicans and sinners they hated. Just to be clear, we are not to encourage sinful behavior in word or deed, but we are to have compassion on those in sin remembering where we were at when Jesus Christ saved our souls. These religious crowds were no different than devils (James 2:19). Notice how Jesus responded.
"And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:31-32. Those who do not view themselves as sinners do not see their need for the Saviour. They do not see where they need to turn from their sins and turn to Christ. Hell is full of people just like this.
How many of us can identify with the crowd at Levi's home? We have been there, but the Lord saved our souls and made us new creations in Him. How many of you are still in that crowd? You are still chasing after that which will never satisfy. I beg you to recognize yourself as a sinner and turn from your sins trusting Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins. After He saves you, follow Him. Christ calls sinners to repentance. Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
