READ: Mark 2: 13-17. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. – Mark 2:14
After healing and forgiving the paralyzed man, Jesus continues on to the Sea of Galilee. There is a toll booth there, where taxes are collected. Levi, the tax collector, possibly the chief of this office, is sitting there. He works for the Roman government and is therefore not viewed in a positive light. Tax collectors were seen as people who coveted other people’s money. Their hearts are set on it. They were not only sinful but also hated by the population.
There is no indication that this Levi is waiting for the Lord Jesus, but Jesus sees him sitting there. That “seeing” is more than noticing, it is seeing through. Jesus sees in him a sinner who is sick, addicted to Mammon. Will Jesus pass him by? No, He calls out to him, as with a command: “Follow Me!” This command means more than joining the crowd that follows Him. It means: leave your work and money behind and come after me now. Repent, obey me, and you shall find your life with me. Just as miraculously as the paralyzed man who could stand at Jesus’ command, this tax collector stands up and follows Him without any objection.
Jesus works a true conversion, and Levi now seeks his salvation in Jesus. But why does he invite other tax collectors and sinners to have a meal with Jesus and the disciples? The scribes and Pharisees condemn Jesus for this decision. They see Levi and the others as sinners who do not behave soberly. Christ should not associate with that, should He? But Jesus does not approve of the lifestyle of these people. He says, “I have come to call sinners to repentance.”
This applies to all of them. Levi understands this. To what extent the invited guests understand it, we do not know, but the scribes and Pharisees do not feel addressed. They feel spiritually healthy and do not need a doctor. The Lord lets them know this to force them to rethink their own situation.
To what extent do you as a believer still need the Lord?
Singing: Ps. 24:2