27. After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28. and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
From this story we learn that the worst of sinners can be saved. As Jesus traveled, He went by a tax collector named Levi or Matthew. The Jews hated tax collectors because they worked for the occupying Roman Government. They were considered traitors. Yet, Jesus invited Levi to follow Him. This was an invitation to salvation. Jesus and His followers after this were constantly giving invitations for people to trust Jesus. The invitation to Levi was also an invitation to discipleship. He became one of the twelve apostles.
Jesus changed Levi's name to Matthew, which means "gift of God." Perhaps that is how Jesus thought of him. Levi lived and worked in Capernaum, where Jesus had made His home. Levi must have known about Jesus and perhaps heard Him speak. I don’t think this was his first encounter with Jesus. As part of God's great plan, Jesus showed that lost people matter to God. Even those who others think are such sinners and don't want anything to do with them. The marvelous thing about encountering Christ is that He is in the business of changing lives.
1 Cor 6:9-11 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
The problem wasn't that people sin, but that people are lost. The good news is the church is a group of sinners who have salvation by putting trust in Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him. We are invited to do so.
I got an email from a woman who talked about church being a crutch. I think what she really meant was my faith was a crutch. She meant it in a derogatory manner. If I broke my leg and it needed healing, I could use a crutch to lean on. Spiritually, I don't need a crutch; I needed a heart transplant. Levi didn't need a crutch; he needed a new heart. He needed to become a whole new person which is only made possible by the Son of God who came to the world to show us that lost people matter to God.
It is really remarkable that Jesus would call a man like this, for tax men were no more loved then than they are now. Tax collectors were trained extortioners making their living by taxing people beyond what the law demanded. They were paid no salary -- only given the opportunity to fleece everyone they collected from. They did have to turn in a certain percentage to the government, according to law, but they kept the rest. They were usually rich men but hated by all for their practices.
Jesus cared nothing at all that it would damage His own reputation to allow such a man to be a disciple. A tax collector got saved. Paul persecuted the church got saved. The demon possessed man of Gadara was a terror got saved. The centurion at the foot of the cross who gambled for His clothes got saved. The thief on the cross laughed at Him, but got saved. John Newton was so hated by his crew that they once rescued him from falling overboard, by spearing him with a harpoon and hauling him, even this hated man got saved! We should pray for people, rather than hate them as the Pharisees did.
Matthew gained much as he walked with Jesus for three years. He was used of God to write the first gospel. Levi was being invited - called - to come with Jesus - to observe Him, to learn from Him, to be formed by Him. There is hope for all sinners and the possibility of change – by following Jesus.
Then Levi has a party and invites all his dirty old sinner friends with his new group of friends- Jesus and his pals. If there is one thing about evangelism, Levi got it right. Let's get one group of pals together with another group of pals and maybe, just maybe, some will find the same joy in knowing Jesus Christ.
Dale
