Jesus Calls Levi [Matthew] to be His follower.
Mark 2:13-17 (NLT)
13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
1. In Christ you Receive a
A. The name Levi:
“Levi” meaning “joined” or “United.”
• The name “Levi” goes back to the tribe of Levi, a priestly lineage in Jewish history.
• When Levi became a follower of Jesus, he received a new name—Matthew, which means “gift of Yahweh [God].”
B. What the Name Change Represents:
The name change represents Levi’s spiritual rebirth, emphasizing his new identity in Christ.
1) It is a
2) It emphasized
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a]The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
C. Levi’s transformation into Matthew offers important lessons:
*1) God Sees Beyond Our Past.*
2) Transformation Is Possible.
3) Our Identity in Christ Brings True Purpose.
Accepting Jesus brings a new purpose and identity, just as it did for Levi.
** 2. The
Mark 2:14b
“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.
Matthew’s transformation highlights that no matter how deeply one is entrenched in sin or worldly desires, Jesus’ call has the power to bring about a radical change!!!
Matthew’s willingness to endure a lifetime of hatred by his own people for the sake of wealth was replaced by a new purpose and identity in Christ!
3. The
Levi’s decision to follow Jesus came at a significant cost.
By choosing to follow Jesus, Levi abandoned his profession and the material wealth that came with it.
This decision underscores the cost of discipleship, as following Jesus often requires sacrificing worldly possessions and desires.
Levi’s transformation into Matthew, a key figure in spreading the Gospel, exemplifies the profound change that occurs when one prioritizes spiritual wealth over material wealth.
Practical Application:
A. “Embrace Change and New Beginnings.”
B. “Prioritize Spiritual Wealth Over Material Wealth.”
4. When you Hear
Matthew eagerly invited his “sinner” friends to meet the Lord Jesus.!
Mark 2:15 (NLT)
15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)
Jesus did not consider these people “throwaways,” even though they had been excommunicated by the religious leaders.
A. Jesus the Physician (vv. 16–17).
Mark 2:16-17 (NLT)
16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Three kinds of “patients” where God’s forgiveness and healing is hindered:
(1) those who do not know about Him.
(2) those who know about Him but refuse to trust Him; and
(3) those who will not admit that they need Him.
The scribes and Pharisees were in that third category, as are all self-righteous sinners today.
Unless we admit that we are sinners, deserving of God’s judgment, we cannot be saved. Jesus saves only sinners (Luke 19:10).