Luk 5:27-32 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord leaves the house where He has taught the Word and healed a paralyzed man. Outside he sees a tax collector sitting. His name is Levi, the same as the later evangelist Matthew. Levi is sitting in the tax booth. He is collecting money. That is his job and he likes to do it. Tax collectors have the opportunity to benefit themselves very much if they collect the tax on behalf of the Romans. While Levi is collecting money or waiting for people to pay taxes, the Lord calls him. The Lord knows him. He knows that his heart is empty, even though he has so much money. Then He says to him: “Follow me.” That is a liberating call. As soon as Levi hears the calling voice, his heart and his spirit are turned away from the money. The order that Luke writes down is remarkable. First we read that Levi leaves everything behind , that is, his heart abandons the money. Then we read that he gets up and follows the Lord. After the lessons of self-condemnation in Peter ( ), of cleansing the leper ( ) and of forgiveness which gives strength to the walk in the paralyzed man ( ), we see here the fourth that grace does: it gives a new, attractive object in the Person of Christ. Levi also immediately shows that he is converted. We see in him the result of following the Lord. He has changed from someone who takes from others to someone who gives to others ( ). He who has received grace now also shows grace to others. The object of his service is the Lord. He gives a big reception “for Him” in his house. He makes his house available to Him. The Lord Jesus is the center and attraction point for others who are also attracted by Him. In Levi’s actions, the Pharisees and scribes see another reason to say something to the detriment of the Lord Jesus. They grumble against the disciples. They do not address the Lord Himself directly, but they address His disciples. In their eyes they are as bad as their Master. Of course they mean it as criticism of Him. They do not understand anything about the reception that Levi organized. They grumble because of the company in which the disciples find themselves. How can they, as people who say they want to live for God, eat together with such low sunken persons? This is how people who have no sense of grace react. They exalt themselves and look down on others. The Lord answers them. He points out that, as healthy people, they do not need help from a physician. You don’t call a physician if you feel healthy. They feel good, they are not leprous or paralyzed, they do not feel like a sinner and do not seek help. The people who are in a bad state and are aware of this, do need the help of a physician. He is the great Physician. He has no message for those who believe of themselves that they are righteous. For sinners who realize how miserable they are, He has a message. He presents the way of salvation to them by telling them that they will be saved if they repent from their sinful way and believe in Him. The Lord does not turn the sinners who come to conversion into new law keepers, but into attendants of the bridegroom [literally “sons of the bridal-chamber”] and fresh wineskins in which the wine of joy is poured, as we find presented in the following verses. The Pharisees have no eye for that. They are like the older son who does not want to take part in the feast because of the return of the youngest son and therefore willingly stays outside the house of music and dance ( ).

‏ Luke 5:27-32

The Calling of Levi

The Lord leaves the house where He has taught the Word and healed a paralyzed man. Outside he sees a tax collector sitting. His name is Levi, the same as the later evangelist Matthew. Levi is sitting in the tax booth. He is collecting money. That is his job and he likes to do it. Tax collectors have the opportunity to benefit themselves very much if they collect the tax on behalf of the Romans.

While Levi is collecting money or waiting for people to pay taxes, the Lord calls him. The Lord knows him. He knows that his heart is empty, even though he has so much money. Then He says to him: “Follow me.” That is a liberating call. As soon as Levi hears the calling voice, his heart and his spirit are turned away from the money.

The order that Luke writes down is remarkable. First we read that Levi leaves everything behind, that is, his heart abandons the money. Then we read that he gets up and follows the Lord. After the lessons of self-condemnation in Peter (Lk 5:8), of cleansing the leper (Lk 5:13) and of forgiveness which gives strength to the walk in the paralyzed man (Lk 5:24), we see here the fourth that grace does: it gives a new, attractive object in the Person of Christ.

Levi also immediately shows that he is converted. We see in him the result of following the Lord. He has changed from someone who takes from others to someone who gives to others (Psa 112:9). He who has received grace now also shows grace to others. The object of his service is the Lord. He gives a big reception “for Him” in his house. He makes his house available to Him. The Lord Jesus is the center and attraction point for others who are also attracted by Him.

In Levi’s actions, the Pharisees and scribes see another reason to say something to the detriment of the Lord Jesus. They grumble against the disciples. They do not address the Lord Himself directly, but they address His disciples. In their eyes they are as bad as their Master. Of course they mean it as criticism of Him. They do not understand anything about the reception that Levi organized. They grumble because of the company in which the disciples find themselves. How can they, as people who say they want to live for God, eat together with such low sunken persons? This is how people who have no sense of grace react. They exalt themselves and look down on others.

The Lord answers them. He points out that, as healthy people, they do not need help from a physician. You don’t call a physician if you feel healthy. They feel good, they are not leprous or paralyzed, they do not feel like a sinner and do not seek help. The people who are in a bad state and are aware of this, do need the help of a physician. He is the great Physician. He has no message for those who believe of themselves that they are righteous.

For sinners who realize how miserable they are, He has a message. He presents the way of salvation to them by telling them that they will be saved if they repent from their sinful way and believe in Him. The Lord does not turn the sinners who come to conversion into new law keepers, but into attendants of the bridegroom [literally “sons of the bridal-chamber”] and fresh wineskins in which the wine of joy is poured, as we find presented in the following verses.

The Pharisees have no eye for that. They are like the older son who does not want to take part in the feast because of the return of the youngest son and therefore willingly stays outside the house of music and dance (Lk 15:25 ; 28).