Who is Levi in this passage and what was his job?

Levi in this passage is the man also known as Matthew. He worked as a publican, or tax collector, sitting at the receipt of custom where tolls and taxes were collected, likely near the road or sea. Tax collectors in that time were known for greed and dishonesty and were despised by many other Jews. They were seen as traitors and often grouped with open sinners. Jesus saw Levi at his booth, called him to follow, and Levi left his work to become one of Jesus’ followers.

What does it mean that Levi ‘left all, rose up, and followed him’?

When the passage says Levi left all, it means he walked away from his tax business, the money, and the comfortable future it could bring, in order to follow Jesus. He did not delay or argue. He got up from his booth at once and went after Jesus. This does not mean he never managed his household again, but that he no longer lived for that old job. His main focus and loyalty shifted to Jesus, and he accepted a new way of life as a disciple.

Why did Levi make a great feast for Jesus in his house?

Levi made a great feast to show gratitude for Jesus’ kindness in calling him. He had been a despised tax collector, yet Jesus invited him into close fellowship. Levi also seems to have wanted his old friends to meet Jesus. So he invited many publicans and others with a bad reputation to his home, hoping they too might hear Jesus and be helped. The meal was generous, but Jesus did not encourage waste. He accepted the invitation and used the time to be near people who needed spiritual healing.

Why were the scribes and Pharisees upset about Jesus eating with publicans and sinners?

The scribes and Pharisees were strict religious leaders. They saw tax collectors and other known sinners as people to avoid. To them, sharing a meal meant close fellowship, and they thought a teacher from God should stay separate from such people. When they saw Jesus and his disciples eating and drinking with publicans and sinners, they complained to the disciples. They used this to accuse Jesus, trying to make him look unclean and careless about sin in the eyes of the crowd.

What does Jesus mean by ‘they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick’?

Jesus uses a simple picture from everyday life. Healthy people do not go to a doctor, but sick people do. He applies this to his work. Those who see themselves as spiritually healthy and righteous will not come to him. Those who know they are sinners, feel their guilt, and know they need help are like sick people who need a doctor. Jesus is saying his place is with people who are aware of their sin and want to be healed, not with those who think they are already fine.

Why did Jesus choose a tax collector like Levi to follow him?

Choosing Levi shows how wide Jesus’ grace reaches. Tax collectors were not only of low reputation, they were often treated as beyond hope. By calling Levi right from his tax booth, Jesus shows there is no job, past, or label that puts someone outside his reach. It also shows Jesus is not building his followers from respected religious people only, but from ordinary and even despised people. This gives hope to anyone who thinks their past keeps them from following him.

What does this passage show about Jesus’ attitude toward sinners?

This passage shows Jesus does not stay far away from sinners. He does not approve of their sins, but he moves toward them to help. He accepts invitations to their homes, sits at their tables, and speaks in a way that aims at their hearts. He calls them to repentance, not to stay as they are. At the same time, he is gentle toward those who know they are sinful, and firm only with those who proudly look down on others and feel no need of mercy themselves.

How can this passage about Levi and the sinners’ feast apply to my life?

If you feel your past or present sins are too bad, this passage shows Jesus calls people exactly like that. Like Levi, you can respond by getting up from whatever is keeping you from Jesus and following him. It also challenges you not to look down on others whose sins are public. Instead of avoiding them in pride, you can seek their good, praying they meet Jesus too. It encourages a heart that is honest about sin and ready to repent, trusting Jesus as the healer of the soul.

Luke.5.27

Luke 5:27

Q: What does ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ teach?

This line sums up Jesus’ mission in the story. He is not saying there are truly sinless people who do not need him. He is speaking about people who see themselves as righteous and refuse to admit their need. He focuses on calling sinners to turn around, which is what repentance means. He invites people with bad pasts, heavy guilt, and open sins to come, be sorry for their sin, and change direction. He also promises forgiveness to those who truly repent and trust him.

KJV Jesus

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.

Jesus Calls Levi

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.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.