The Book of Luke: Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners! (Luke 5:27-32)
This morning we are looking at the call of Matthew. Luke 5:27 “27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.”. We see that Matthew’s name is “Levi” here in Luke 5. I want to show you that this person named Levi is in fact Matthew. Matthew 9:9 “9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”. This is the same person who wrote the Gospel of Matthew. We see the Lord Jesus Christ calling Matthew or Levi into the ministry.
In this story of the calling of Matthew, there are some lessons that I want to point out to you. The first lesson that I would like you to notice is that the Lord Jesus is attempting to reach sinners. We should have the same goal today.
Luke 5:27-29 “27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.”. Levi or Matthew invites Jesus to a great feast where a lot of publicans attend. A publican would be similar to an IRS agent today or a tax collector.
We need to understand that the publicans were hated by people. Not only were they tax collectors but they would often also steal. The way that the Roman Empire was setup was that they commissioned these people to collect taxes. They were allowed to collect as much as they wanted as long as the empire got their cut. They were not just working a job where they collected the correct taxes and got paid for it. They would collect what was owed but also add extra for their own fee. These people would often collect a lot more than was owed. These were Jews that were working for the Roman Empire and collecting taxes from their own people.
Luke 3:12-13 “12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”. Why did John the Baptist tell them this? Because they were exacting or taking more than was appointed. They were becoming rich by stealing from their own people.
In Luke 19 we come across the story of Zacchaeus. He was not only a publican but the one in charge of them. Luke 19:1-2 “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.”. Why was he rich? Because he was a publican. He had been stealing from the people. How do I know this? Luke 19:8 “8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”. When Zacchaeus got right with God, he took the Old Testament law and made things right. I show you these verses so you can understand that the publicans were taking advantage of their own people and becoming rich off of them.
These people were often looked down on and considered as thieves and sinners. Often the word “publican” is associated with sinners as you have the phrase in the Bible “publicans and sinners”. Luke 5:30 “30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”. Luke 15:1 “15 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.”. Throughout the Bible, publicans are lumped in with sinners. You also see in the Bible “publicans and harlots”. What I’m trying to explain to you is that Levi or Matthew is someone that was regarded as a thief or traitor or sinner who people did not want to be around.
Jesus sees this man Levi sitting at the receipt of custom and says “Follow me”. When Jesus was looking for people to reach, he was looking for sinners. Obviously we are all sinners but not everyone looks at themselves as sinners in need of salvation. Most people we talk to look at themselves as someone who has sinned but not as someone who is in need of salvation. Jesus was looking to reach sinners who understood they were guilty.
Luke 5:30 “30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”. Notice how it says “their scribes and Pharisees”. These were their specific scribes or Pharisees or spiritual leaders. Luke 5:31 “31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”. When Jesus was looking for people to follow him, he was looking for people who knew they were sinners as opposed to those who thought they were righteous. We need to remember at Verity Baptist Church that we are here to reach sinners. Of course we are excited for people that grow up in Church and serve God and don’t make the mistakes that others make. However, as thankful as I am for young people who grew up in Church, I’m also thankful for people who show up that have a checkered past but are making changes in their life.
#1 – We are looking to reach sinners. #2 – We are looking to enlist workers.
It’s interesting to me that Jesus loved the poor. He healed the sick, cast out Devils. He spent time with people that weren’t able to minister or be a blessing to him. However, when Jesus was looking to enlist workers, he didn’t go to the poor. He always went to what you and I would call the middle class or working class.
Luke 5:27 “27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.”. Levi is at work doing his job. “28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.”. We also see this earlier in the chapter. Luke 5:1 “And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.”. Jesus found Andrew, Peter, James and John at work.
Matthew 13:55 “55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?”. We don’t know a lot about Joseph who raised Jesus but we know that he was a working man. Acts 4:36-37 “36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”. Barnabas was a land owner. He was successful. The Apostle Paul was a very educated and successful man. He also had the ability to work with his hands. Acts 18:1-3 “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”.
We always see Jesus picking people who are already working for the service. Colossians 4:14 “14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.”. Luke (whose book we are studying) was a physician. He had a job. God found Moses who was out working. When God needed a King, he went to Saul and then David who was working. Whenever God is looking for someone to do a work, he looks for someone who is already working. We are looking to reach sinners but also enlist the middle class. How have we as a Church been able to start Church plants and accomplish great things here? The strength of the middle class has made that possible. We have people that volunteer and work hard to help us. Doesn’t it make sense that if you are looking for someone to work then you find someone who is already working.
I remember learning this lesson in a very difficult way early in our ministry. We started this Church 11 years ago and had a small group of people in our living room. We had a lot of visitors from soulwinning. A lot of the people we got to come to Church were unemployed. They weren’t just in between work but chronically unemployed. We helped these people through difficult times. I thought to myself that the good thing of reaching people unemployed was that they would have a lot of time to volunteer and come soulwinning. I started realizing that wasn’t the case. It was actually the people with full time jobs and moms raising their children that came to help. Then I realized that God uses people that are workers. God does not use lazy people. What is the application? Quit being lazy. Get to work. If you want God to use you mightily then he needs to find you busy. Don’t just be someone living off the government. What are we doing here at Verity Baptist Church? We are trying to reach the poor and enlist the middle class. By the way ladies, marry someone who is already working.
#1 – We are looking to reach the poor. #2 – We are looking to enlist workers. #3 – We are looking to invite your friends and family.
Levi made him a great feast. Levi was a crook as a publican. Levi leaves and immediately follows Jesus. Levi wanted his friends to learn the things that he learned. Levi had the idea of bringing Jesus over in hopes to convert his friends to Jesus.
Yesterday we were out soulwinning and we got someone saved. Right after she prayed to receive Christ, she asked “What if they were mute and couldn’t speak? Could they get saved?”. I told her that yes you can call upon Christ in your heart. At that time I saw a child come out behind her. She had a young 8-year-old child that had the mind of a baby and she didn’t think he would be able to understand it. I explained the “Age of Accountability” and how if someone never reached that level of understanding to be able to get saved that they would go to heaven. The same is true for a mentally handicap person who never was able to understand. Right after this conversation, I told my wife as we walked away that one of the telltale signs that they truly got saved is that they have an immediate desire for their family to get saved.
When Matthew got saved, he immediately had a concern for those that were his friends. Let me show you an example. John 1:40 “40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”. We saw earlier when Andrew and Peter were called into the ministry but this is not the first time that they met Jesus. Here in John 1:40 is the first time that they met Jesus. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist. John 1:41 “41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”. When Andrew meets Jesus, his first concern was that his brother Peter also met Jesus.
John 1:42-43 “42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”. Philip finds Nathanael. Matthew finds all of his publican friends and brings them to Jesus. We are looking to invite your friends and family. This is why we have things like “I love my Church Sunday.”. We want any excuse to motivate you to bring your friends and family.
I want to encourage you like Matthew to bring your friends and family to our Church. Even if you aren’t able to get them saved or give them the gospel, can you try to bring them here? We see that Jesus was looking to reach sinners, he was looking to enlist workers and looking to invite friends and family.
Let’s pray.