Can you think of any good reason why an employer would purposefully hire an employee, who everyone in town hated, to be a manager in their business? Well, I can’t. But that is exactly what Jesus did one day, as He walked along the Sea of Galilee, teaching the large crowd who were following Him. And of all the possible choices, as He came to the tax collector’s booth, He commanded Levi Matthew, son of Alphaeus, “Follow me.” (Mt 9:9; Mk 2:13-14; Lk 5:27-28)
If the other disciples had been with him, can you imagine the gossip and murmuring that would have filled the air? Especially if Simon the Zealot had already been chosen; he lived to murder traitors. You see, there were several reasons why everyone hated tax collectors. They were considered traitors because they worked for the Roman government, they severely over charged the Galileans so they could line their pockets and they had Roman soldiers to back-up everything they demanded. Everyone hated tax collectors. Well, everyone except Jesus.
Almost as shocking was Levi’s response: “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.”
Tax collectors were extremely wealthy, so that “left everything” was a really big deal. Matthew was so overjoyed that he threw a splendid banquet to honor Jesus and invited all of his friends. Remember when you first got saved? What did you want to do immediately? You wanted to tell your friends about Jesus, so that they could also get saved. That’s exactly what Matthew wanted. And he could even have Jesus do the testifying.
Matthew’s invite list was a problem. He invited his fellow tax collectors (wealthy) and a group of sinners (poor commoners), both which needed to get saved. He probably should have known that there would be troubles, but he was so excited about Jesus, that the obvious slipped his mind. However, the bellyaching and griping at dinner wasn’t actually from the dinner guests. Rather it was from some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who gathered outside and grilled the disciples about Jesus’ disgusting behavior, associating with sinners and tax collectors.
Jesus’ reply when heard their criticism was: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Hos 6:6
He confronted the Pharisees and the teachers of the law with their wicked arrogance and bigotry. They were silent. Matthew’s guests saw what he hoped they would: JESUS in action.
A few days later (Mt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:33-39), a strange pair attacked Jesus and His disciples. “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees often fast and pray, but yours are not? They go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered them by saying that while He was with His disciples, they would not fast, but that one day, when He was not with them, then they would fast.
He then added 3 parables to emphasize the point that what Jesus brought was NEW and could not be mingled with the old ways; the old/new cloth, the old/new wine and the old/new wineskins. This was Jesus’ way of illustrating the truth from Jeremiah, that would be quoted in Heb 8:13: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Following Jesus was going to require a NEW way of thinking and living. Trouble awaited old thinking/living.
Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015
