He left all, rose up, and followed him . No doubt a hard and difficult bit of self-renunciation. He, at the bidding of the homeless, landless Teacher, gave up his lucrative employment, sacrificing all his life of promotion, of future wealth and position, exposing himself, doubtless, to sneers and calumny. With great truth could he re-echo his friend Peter's words, "Lo, we have left all, and followed thee." read more
See the notes at Matthew 9:9-13.Luke 5:29Made him a great feast - This circumstance “Matthew,” or “Levi” as he is here called, has omitted in his own gospel. This fact shows how little inclined the evangelists are to say anything in favor of themselves or to praise themselves. True religion does not seek to commend itself, or to speak of what it does, even when it is done for the Son of God. It seeks retirement; it delights rather in the consciousness of doing well than in its being known; and... read more
Luke 5:27-29. He went forth and saw a publican, &c. Having performed this great miracle on the paralytic, Jesus thought proper to allow the Pharisees and doctors an opportunity of conferring upon it among themselves, and of making what observations they pleased concerning it, in the hearing of the common people. He left the house, therefore, immediately. But on his going out the people accompanied him, eager to hear him preach. This good disposition which they were in, Jesus improved to... read more
32. Call of Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32)The next person to join Jesus’ group of chosen disciples was the tax collector Matthew, also known as Levi (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14). Matthew took Jesus home for a meal and invited his fellow tax collectors and other friends to come and meet his new master. Jews despised tax collectors as being unpatriotic, dishonest and irreligious. The Pharisees despised Jesus when they saw him eating with them (Matthew 9:10-11; Luke... read more
after . Greek meta. App-104 . saw = viewed with attention. Greek. theaomai. App-133 . publican = toll-collector, or tax-gatherer. See on Luke 3:12 . Levi. There can be no doubt about Levi and Matthew being different names for the same person (Matthew 9:9 . Mark 2:14 ). For similar changes, at epochs in life, compare Simon and Peter, Saul and Paul. Matthew is an abbreviation of Mattathias = Gift of God, and he is so called after this. "Sitting "shows he was a custom-house officer. at . ... read more
left = left behind. Not the same word as "forsook" in Luke 5:11 . read more
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me. And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him.Levi ...This son of Alphaeus was a Hebrew with two names, a common thing in Galilee at that time. Mark and Luke speak of him as Levi, but Matthew himself used the name that has been loved throughout the Christian era.[1]The speculation that Jesus gave Levi the name "Matthew," meaning "gift of God," is not... read more
Luke 5:27. A publican named Levi,— There were at this time in the Roman empire two sorts of people, who might be called publicans, (τελωναι .) First, such as farmed the taxes of whole provinces. These generally were Roman knights, men of very honourable characters, as we learn from the commendations which Cicero gives of them. It was this sort of tax-gatherers, who were properly termed publicans by the Romans; but it does not appear that they are ever mentioned in the Gospels. These did not... read more
Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector ("publican," AV). However he was not a chief tax collector, as Zaccheus was (Luke 19:2), nor does the text say that he was rich, though he appears to have been. Nevertheless the Pharisees and most of the ordinary Jews despised him because of his profession. He collected taxes from the Jews for the unpopular Roman government, and many of his fellow tax collectors were corrupt."It is of importance to notice, that the Talmud distinguishes two classes of... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 5:27-39
The call of Levi, and the subsequent banquet. We noticed how, at the healing of the paralytic, there was a critical assemblage. Secretly did they impugn the absolution pronounced by the Master, and publicly were they refuted. Immediately after, it would seem from all the accounts, Jesus takes the bold step of calling a publican to become his disciple. It was a throwing down of the gauntlet to his enemies. It was taking up a man whom they had excommunicated and despised, and so bringing the... read more