HE SEES, HE KNOWS, HE CARES: THE GOSPEL of LUKESample

Read: Luke 5:27—6:11

SOAP: Luke 5:32

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

During Jesus’ lifetime, the nation of Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. While the Jews were taxed heavily and oppressed in many other ways by the Romans, they were still allowed to worship God freely. Because the Romans were Gentiles, many Jews did not associate with them because their lifestyles made them ceremonially unclean, according to Jewish law.

Nevertheless, there were some Jews who had agreed to work for the Romans. Levi was one of these people. As a tax collector for the Roman government, Levi would collect money from his fellow Jews and send it back to Rome. Many tax collectors had a reputation for charging the people more than was required by the Romans to make a profit for themselves. Tax collectors in Israel were not respected—they were despised—by both the common people and those in positions of authority, like Pharisees and experts in the law.

Luke doesn’t provide much background on who Levi was or how and why he became a tax collector. What he does tell us is that as soon as Jesus said, “Follow me,” Levi left everything behind and threw a great banquet for Jesus.

Levi’s past did not deter Jesus from calling him. His wealth, occupation, political affiliation, and reputation were not important to Jesus. What mattered was that he left everything to be His disciple.

A theme we’ll see more and more in Luke’s Gospel is how those who were not considered “righteous” by the Jewish leaders were receptive to Jesus and followed Him. Jesus did not come to save those who did not believe they needed saving. He came to save those who acknowledge their sin, brokenness, and need for a Savior. Jesus welcomed these people with open arms, the same way He welcomes us when we bring Him our sins and shortcomings. Jesus is calling us to begin a new life with Him, by leaving the past behind and following Him.