Jesus Calls Levi To Discipleship

The Apostle Matthew ~ El Greco ~ 1610-1614

27 Later on, Jesus went out and looked straight at a tax-collector called Levi, as he sat in his office. "Follow me," he said to him. 28 And he got to his feet, left everything behind and followed him. 29 Then Levi gave a big reception for Jesus in his own house, and  there was a great crowd of tax-collectors and others at table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their companions the scribes kept grumbling about him to Jesus' disciples, saying, "Why do you have your meals with tax-collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come with an invitation for the 'just' but for the 'sinners'- to repentance. Luke 5:27-32

The next one called by Jesus to discipleship is Levi. In any gospel list naming the apostles, there is no mention of a Levi. Scholars debate if this is Matthew. We let them argue it out.

Verse 27: Notice that Jesus went out and looked straight at the tax-collector. It sounds as if Jesus has honed in on Levi. But Levi carries a lot of baggage - he's a Jew who collects taxes from his fellow Jews for the occupying Roman Empire or for Herod, who was a phony Jew - Caesar's puppet. Jesus kind of barges in on this corrupted guy and speaks only two words - "Follow me."

Verse 28: In response to Jesus, Levi doesn't question, doesn't argue, doesn't call the police to get rid of the intruder. Instead, he's on his feet and leaves everything behind to follow Jesus. But what does everything mean? I'd suggest it's easier to leave material things behind than some inner treasured agenda. Maybe Christ is hoping for me to leave behind some ideology that doesn't expand me to serve God's purposes of informed justice or compassion. Over four decades I've met more than a few Christians who I sense would find it easier to leave behind bank books than their precious ideological loyalties. 

Verse 29,30: This dinner party is a recipe for disaster as the guest list is made up of religiously unsavory types and the morality police. These guys, who sniff out what's un-approved, talk negatively about Jesus to his disciples. They must have known the criticisms would get back to him. Troublemakers.

Verse 31: But Jesus answers for himself. He doesn't respond to the critical questions by sending the disciples back to the objectors. "It's not the healthy who need the doctor." Was Jesus speaking tongue in cheek? They think they alone are spiritually healthy. I'm thinking of Pope Francis likening the Church to a field hospital. A field hospital is found amidst the disaster, the damage and the ruins.

Verse 32: Jesus gives us his idea of religion's purpose - to call persons to repentance. But repentance doesn't mean beating myself up over past mistakes, rather, turning inwardly, to face a new direction. Repentance is on-going, not once and for all. "Today, I will light a candle in the darkness." "Today, I will find my way to some new awareness and heart response." "Today, I will give up some old objection or self-protecting agenda." 

Sit in Levi's Chair

And Jesus went forth again by the water's edge, and all the crowd kept coming to him, and he taught them. And as he was passing along, he saw Levi, the  son of Alpheus, sitting in the tax-collector's place, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him. (Mark 2:13-14)

THE ANGEL WHISPERING over Levi's (Matthew's) shoulder in Rembrandt's painting might be saying to him, "Forget about keeping the columns  in your ledger, there's another story for you to record." Matthew's left hand seems to be indicating, "Who me?" Have I ever felt that way before God?

The gospel has told us that Jesus went back to the seaside town and that would have been a good place for Matthew to take up his station as lots of people would be coming and going ~ reason to collect new taxes. Matthew is a Jew who collects taxes on behalf of the hated Roman enemy who occupied the area. So we can image that Matthew had no friends among his own people. In the verses following we'll see that his only friends were low-enders. So of course, as Jesus speaks to him with courtesy he'll have that "Who me?" look on his face.

The account suggests that Jesus saw Levi first, as with Zacchaeus, another tax collector who had climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus (Luke 19: 1-10). But there it is: in Christ, God has found us long before we had any thought of him.

Matthew was a betrayer of his people, and perhaps thought of as a scoundrel, padding his pockets with the little extra he could swindle out of people. He might well have been an unhappy man. A lot of people are unhappy or dissatisfied in some place - often un-examined, undisclosed, even to those closest to them. We don't know what Matthew knew about Jesus, but what could possibly motivate someone to get up out of his chair and leave everything behind to answer the invitation "Follow me." 

I've met parents and teachers who celebrate everything a child does that sends the message, "You're great" "You're fine just the way you are." Awards, prizes, trophies for showing up, citations, high-fives, certificates, stickers, applause for everything, "Nice walking, Johnnie!" But truth be told, we need a doctor for what really ails us. We can be moody, acquisitive, selfish, prideful, pretending, minimalists, cynical, indifferent, dishonest, aggressive, hateful. Maybe Matthew knew this about himself.

There are Christians who ask others, "Have you taken Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?" But that's not what Jesus requires. Jesus only says, "Follow me." That's what he wants from us. It's a fundamental message of the gospel, "Follow me and then see, we can change!" 

Can I (more importantly, will I )name the old treasure that I've been so attentive to and protective of, and out of that place look up and, sharing Matthew's surprise, find a new joy in Christ. We might sit for awhile, actively placing ourselves in the scene - sit in Matthew's chair - and now let the story play out.