JESUS CALLS LEVI

Luke 5:27-32    

Key Verse: 5:27

1. Read verses 27-28. After going out, who did Jesus see? How were tax collectors regarded by the Israelites?  By the Romans?  Why? How did someone become a tax collector in those days?  Why might a man become a tax collector? What does this reveal about Levi's values and his inner life? (James 1:15; 3:13-17)

- Jesus saw Levi, a Jew who was a tax collector for the Roman Empire.

- Tax collectors were considered ‘traitors’ and ‘Quislings’ by their fellow countrymen.  The Israelites despised men like Levi, because they not only took lawful taxes from the people, but they would also take more than they were supposed to.  Whatever they collected over and above what the Romans asked for, was the tax collectors to keep.

- The Romans liked having an agent collect taxes because the people’s anger would be directed towards the actual collector and not against the Romans themselves.  As long as the Romans had a use for tax collectors they had no problems with them, but they also did not trust these tax collectors either, because they knew that they were betraying their own people for money.  They could never be trusted.  Basically, they were despised and rejected by everyone, both the Israelites and even those whom the tax collectors worked for!

- Tax collectors were a special appointment by the Roman government.  Those interested in being a tax collector had to pay for the position.  The Roman govt. would have a tax collectors position open and would offer it for a certain amount of money.  This was the amount that the Romans wanted from this area.  The money used to purchase the position as tax collector was in reality, the ‘taxes’ collected for that area.  The tax collector had to pay this amount every year in order to keep the position, if they did not then someone else who could pay for the position would receive it.  The position of tax collector gave authority to the tax collector to then go and ‘collect’ money from the people in that region to recoup the cost they had to pay for the position.  Any money they collected that was over the amount they paid for the title ‘tax collector’ was then theirs to keep.  The more they collected over the amount they paid for the position, the more money they made.  So it was in their interest to collect more than was necessary, in order to make themselves wealthy.

- Those who wanted to be tax collectors did so because they wanted to find a way to succeed despite being under the hard rule of Roman rule.  They loved money and they had strong desire to succeed despite their circumstances.

- James 1:15, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

- James 3:13-17, “Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 

 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

- Levi’s value system was based on his selfish ambition and his bitter envy towards those who had ‘good’ things in this life.  He was not going to be denied any of these good things, even if it meant that he had to crush or step over others to gain it.  He was even willing to betray and oppress his own people becoming an instrument and tool of oppression by the Roman conquerors.  Levi’s ‘wisdom’ was earthly, unspiritual and of the devil.  His life led to disorder and every evil practice, both inwardly and outwardly. 

2. What is the historical meaning of the name Levi?  What did Jesus say to Levi? How was Jesus' view of Levi different from others?  How could Jesus have hope for such a selfish man? Read verse 27 again. What did Jesus mean when He told Levi, "Follow Me"? (Rev 3:20) What did it mean to the outcast Levi?

- Levi was the tribe set apart to serve in the Temple.  They were to be the priests to make atonement and intercede in prayer on behalf of the Israelites.  Surely this was the prayer of his parents for his life and most probably the family was from the line of Levi.

- Jesus said, “Follow Me”.  Most people said to Levi, “You are a selfish, quisling.  You should commit suicide.”

- Jesus saw Levi as a lost son of God.  To Jesus, Levi was not a useless man; he was misguided and was misusing his ability and his unyielding spirit.  Jesus saw in him lay hidden the greatness of God.

3. Read verses 28-29.  How did Levi respond?  What did he lose? What did he gain?  How could Levi respond so quickly to Jesus’ invitation?  How was his life turned around by this decision? (Rom. 13:13-14) What did the banquet reveal about his changed life?  

- Levi immediately got up and left everything.

- Levi lost his high paying position as a tax collector.

- He gained new joy and happiness.  Before he could not eat properly, but now he could have a great eating banquet.  Ultimately, he gained the Kingdom of God.

- Rom. 13:13-14, “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

- No longer was Levi ruled by the love of money.  No longer did he live to feed his selfish ambition and bitter envy.  He now became a disciple of Jesus and the writer of Matthew’s Gospel.  He could even write the Sermon on the Mount.

- The banquet he held for others reveals that his joy was overflowing.  He could share with others.  He could think about others for a change.  He could even use his own hard earned money to celebrate his happiness and share that with others, so that others could also share in his happiness.

4. Read verses 30-32. Why did the Pharisees complain to Jesus' disciples? What does this reveal about them? (Mat. 23:13-15)  How did Jesus reply to their complaint? What does this reveal about Jesus? What does it mean to repent?

- The Pharisees complained that Jesus and His disciples were eating and drinking with tax collectors and ‘sinners’.

- Mt. 23:13-15, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”

- It reveals that the Pharisees had no compassion and were in reality sons of hell and not really sons of God at all.  They were hypocrites and only had the appearance of piety and as servants of the Living God.

- Luke 5:31-32, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

- Jesus came to call sinners to repentance.  Jesus came to heal the sick from the sin sickness, with the love of God.  Jesus came to help sinners to enter the Kingdom of God.  

- To repent means to turn to God, to come to Jesus just as we are.