Who is Levi in this passage and how is he related to Matthew?

Levi in this passage is the same person who is also known as Matthew. He is called “the son of Alphaeus,” and he worked as a tax collector, sitting at the place where people paid customs. From other details in Scripture, many understand him to be from a family that included other men who later followed Jesus. Before Jesus called him, Levi’s work and probably his lifestyle had a bad name among the Jews, but Jesus chose him anyway and turned a despised tax collector into a close disciple.

What does it mean that Levi was sitting at the receipt of custom?

The phrase “receipt of custom” means Levi was sitting at a tax booth or toll booth. This was the place where he collected taxes or tolls from people moving goods, probably near the shore where boats and traders passed by. Tax collectors in that time were often known for cheating and taking more than they should, so people usually saw them as greedy and unclean. Mentioning Levi at this booth shows how far Jesus’ call reached, even into a job many people despised.

Why did Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners in Levi’s house?

After Jesus called Levi, Levi made a meal for Jesus in his house, likely as a thankful farewell to his old life and a way to honor Jesus. He invited many other tax collectors and people known as sinners. Jesus did not avoid them, but sat and ate with them. He did this because he came to reach people who knew they were broken and guilty, not to hide from them. Being at the table with them showed his willingness to be near those others rejected, so they could hear him and follow him.

Why were the scribes and Pharisees upset that Jesus ate with sinners?

The scribes and Pharisees were strict religious leaders. They saw tax collectors and other open sinners as people to avoid, not to sit with at a meal. When they saw Jesus eating and drinking with them, they thought this proved he was not holy. Instead of asking Jesus directly, they questioned his disciples, “How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?” They cared more about keeping their strict image and staying separate than about broken people being helped and changed.

What does Jesus mean by they that are whole have no need of the physician?

Jesus uses a simple picture everyone understands. Healthy people do not call a doctor, but sick people do. He applies this to his own work. The “whole” are those who think they are fine and see no need to repent or be forgiven. The “sick” are those who know they are sinners and need help. Jesus is saying he is like a doctor for the soul. He did not come to flatter those who feel righteous, but to heal those who know they are spiritually sick and come to him.

How does Levi’s response to Jesus’ call challenge us today?

Levi is sitting at his tax booth, busy in his work, when Jesus simply says, “Follow me.” Levi gets up and follows him. He leaves his old work and way of life behind at once. This quick and willing response shows what it can look like when Jesus’ call really grips a person. Today, this challenges us to take Jesus’ call seriously, not to delay or bargain with him. When he calls us to follow, he calls us to trust him enough to let go of whatever keeps us from walking with him.

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

This passage shows that Jesus does not avoid people just because others look down on them. He calls a tax collector to follow him, goes into his house, and sits at a meal with many people labeled as sinners. He sees them as spiritually sick people who need a healer, not as hopeless outcasts. At the same time, he does not excuse their sin. He says he came to call sinners to repentance, which means he wants them to turn from their old ways and be changed, not stay as they are.

What was happening around the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called Levi?

Large crowds were coming to Jesus by the sea, and he was teaching them there, probably because the open shore gave space for many people to gather. After teaching, as he walked along, he passed the tax booth where Levi sat. In the middle of this busy workday scene, Jesus saw him and called him. So the call of Levi happens in the flow of Jesus’ public ministry, with crowds listening, teaching going on, and then this very personal moment where one man is called out of his old life.

How can this passage shape how believers view and treat people today?

This passage reminds believers not to look at people only by their past or their reputation. Jesus did not avoid tax collectors and open sinners, and he was not afraid of his name being damaged by being near them. Instead, he saw them as people who needed mercy and change. For believers, this means being willing to befriend and sit with those others might avoid, while still being honest about sin. It also warns against feeling superior like the Pharisees, who saw themselves as beyond the need for repentance.

Mark.2.13

Mark 2:13

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

When Jesus says this, he is explaining his mission. He is not saying there are people who are truly righteous on their own. He is talking about those who think they are righteous and do not see their need to turn back to God, like many of the Pharisees. He focuses his call on sinners, people who know they have done wrong and need mercy. His call is to repentance, which means turning from sin to God. This shows that Jesus’ message is for broken people who are ready to be changed.

KJV

And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

Jesus Calls Levi

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

Levi (Matthew) Called

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.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.