Podcast appearances and mentions of levi matthew

Genesis - Abraham's Treachery, Isaac Is Born, Sarah Turns against Hagar, Covenant with Abimelech, The Offering of Isaac. Luke - The First Disciples, A Man with Leprosy Healed, A Man Lowered Through a Roof, Call of Levi (Matthew).

From the responsorial psalm: “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life." A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 2:13-17) Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow him. Matthew invites Jesus to dine at his house along with many tax collectors and sinners. When the Scribes and Pharisees see them dining together, they are critical of Jesus, questioning why he would eat with sinners. After Jesus hears their remarks, his response reveals the purpose of his mission and how he came to choose Matthew as one of the apostles: the sick need the Divine Physician, and Jesus calls sinners to him. Saint Paul recognizes the dependence we have on the grace and mercy Jesus offers when he says, "No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account." Father in heaven, help me now and throughout the day receive your grace through Jesus Christ your Son. Let the words of Saint Paul remind me what it means to respond as Saint Matthew did on hearing the words "Follow me." It means that in approaching the throne of grace, I have the sympathy and compassion of Jesus. Give me the grace to do as Paul urges in saying, "So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help." Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of the Divine Physician, show me the way to your Son. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Commonway's new lead pastor, Steve Gill, kicked off our new sermon series "Around the Table." Steve taught from Luke 5:27-32 and invited us to think about who in that story we are most like right now; one of the "sinners" at the feast, Levi (Matthew) the former tax collector turned Jesus-follower, or Jesus. We were challenged, as Jesus followers, to walk in relational proximity and relational intimacy with others; and reminded that around the table is a great place to do that.

What Happens in this Episode? In this week's Jesus Stories episode, we continue telling the narrative of Jesus' ministry in Galilee. We start in Capernaum – Jesus' home base – where he teaches and, again, confronts an evil spirit. This is followed by more teaching and lots of healings. We'll see two well-known healings: Peter's mother-in-law and the man let down through the roof of an over-crowded house. Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) and then attends a party which Levi throws for him. In these last instances, Jesus confronts the attitudes of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. Here is a reference map of the region covered in today's show. Scriptures Used in this Episode Mark 1:29-34 Matthew 4:23-25 Mark 1:40-45 Leviticus 13:1-46 Leviticus 14 Mark 2:1-14 John 9:1-3 Luke 5:27-39 Matthew 9:9-13 Hosea 6:6 Don't forget to share this podcast with your social media friends. You'll find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), and You Tube. You can also find a template for making up business cards to share with your friends and acquaintances here. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Text: Mark 2:13-17 (ESV)   13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”   JESUS CAME FOR SINNERS   Jesus called Levi[Matthew], son of Alphaeus, to follow Him as one of His 12 disciples. Did he know of Him prior to this moment? Perhaps, he knew Jesus like Peter and Andrew. This explains his willingness to abandon his very lucrative post as a tax collector and follow Jesus. He was collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman ruler, most likely Herod Antipas.   Immediately, Levi invited Jesus and others for a great feast at his home. They reclined at the table, laying on their sides or bellies with their legs behind them, leaning on their left arms and eating with their right hand. He also invites "sinners." This is a technical term given by the Pharisees to Jews who do not have no interest or inclination to follow their rigid religion.   This gathering for dinner in the house of ungodly Levi and his friends with Jesus and His followers has angered the devout Jewish religious leaders. But, many ‘sinners' followed Him. On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'   His words offer a double implication in a sense. Firstly, He explains His mission as a friend of sinners who comes to save lost people. Secondly, Jesus also subtly rebukes the religious leaders who see themselves as righteous and without need of Jesus and the salvation He provides.   Like Jesus, we must have a heartbeat for the least and lost, the sin-sick people in this world. And, unlike the religious leaders, we must not be proud to think we're better than others - branding others as less spiritual than ourselves.   Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

In Luke 5:27-39, Jesus asks Levi (Matthew) to follow him, eats with tax collectors and sinners. He tells the Pharisees he came for sinners, not the righteous. Jesus talks about fasting, using parables to say new wine goes in new wineskins and people don't fast with the groom around. This is a passage that is making clear why Christ has to come to redeem. We are left with the question: is Christ the Messiah or a fraud?

Deuteronomy - Administration of justice. Portion of the Levites. Spiritism forbidden. Cities of refuge. Laws of landmark and testimony. Luke - The leper and the paralytic. Call of Levi (Matthew)

In Matthew 8 and 9, we see Jesus in the early phases of his ministry demonstrating authority over creation to calm not only the sea but also his disciple’s fears. We see him calling the most outcast and hated of people, a tax collector named Levi (Matthew), to new life in him. And we see […]

The call of Levi-Matthew is covered by Luke in one brief sentence. While nothing is recorded of any previous contact with Levi, the brevity of this encounter would suggest otherwise. The purpose of this contact is to set the scenario for the interaction and conflict between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. The opposition continued to build, as Luke observes, and will result in Jesus' death on the cross. -As noted with the incidents preceding the text of this message, the contrast also focuses on what it looks like to follow Jesus, which He will address in Luke 14-33. To follow Jesus, one must renounce all he previously held dear. Peter, James, and John left all to follow Him. Now we read that Levi, -leaving everything, rose and followed Him.- Sadly, many modern -believers' want Jesus to save them, but they prefer to live unto themselves. You can't have both.

The call of Levi-Matthew is covered by Luke in one brief sentence. While nothing is recorded of any previous contact with Levi, the brevity of this encounter would suggest otherwise. The purpose of this contact is to set the scenario for the interaction and conflict between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. The opposition continued to build, as Luke observes, and will result in Jesus' death on the cross. -As noted with the incidents preceding the text of this message, the contrast also focuses on what it looks like to follow Jesus, which He will address in Luke 14-33. To follow Jesus, one must renounce all he previously held dear. Peter, James, and John left all to follow Him. Now we read that Levi, -leaving everything, rose and followed Him.- Sadly, many modern -believers' want Jesus to save them, but they prefer to live unto themselves. You can't have both.

The call of Levi/Matthew is covered by Luke in one brief sentence. While nothing is recorded of any previous contact with Levi, the brevity of this encounter would suggest otherwise. The purpose of this contact is to set the scenario for the interaction and conflict between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. The opposition continued to build, as Luke observes, and will result in Jesus' death on the cross. As noted with the incidents preceding the text of this message, the contrast also focuses on what it looks like to follow Jesus, which He will address in Luke 14:33. To follow Jesus, one must renounce all he previously held dear. Peter, James, and John left all to follow Him. Now we read that Levi, "leaving everything, rose and followed Him." Sadly, many modern "believers' want Jesus to save them, but they prefer to live unto themselves. You can't have both.

   11. Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners Mark 2:13-17 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi (Matthew) son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” At the start of this chapter, Mark 2, we see Jesus' proclaiming that he is able to forgive sins – much to the consternation of some members of the religious establishment who accused Jesus of blasphemy as only God can forgive sins! Jesus here cured a man's soul as well as healing his physical ailment. Jesus calls himself there, the Son of Man – meaning that while he is fully God, he is also fully human! This Jesus, the Son of Man, in this passage is walking out around the lake. He sees a tax collector sitting in his booth waiting to collect taxes from people. Jesus calls to him to leave his business and follow him! At which Levi, who we know as Matthew (the writer of the Gospel with the same name), promptly does so. Again much to the indignation of the religious zealots, because tax collectors were despised. They were despised not just for co-operating with the gentile Romans but also because they usually collected more than they were legally allowed to, and kept the excess for themselves. That Jesus chose one of these people to be his disciple or follower was an amazing thing to do! Most people chose followers who didn't have a hint of scandal about them, certainly not a tax collector! But not Jesus – he chose people to follow him including those who were scandalous and down-trodden. This shows the inordinate grace and wisdom of Jesus. Grace which calls such a sinful person as Matthew and a wisdom to call a man who spoke both Greek and Aramaic as Matthew did. He knew they could be transformed by the work of God! As he started to follow Jesus, Matthew left everything behind to serve Jesus. Matthew didn't choose Jesus – Jesus chose him! WOW! Jesus appealed to Matthew to follow him but did not force him. Jesus loved Matthew. Love can be compelling and appealing but love never forces against the will. Jesus will compel you to follow and obey, but He will never force you to do something against your own will. In response to the indignation of the religious establishment, Jesus states clearly that his mission is to call those who acknowledge their sinfulness – unlike those of the religious establishment who were hypocrites. In Matthew's account of this story Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice!” The religious establishment including the Pharisees were mainly devoid of mercy, yet kept the law and its sacrifices obediently. Such people as tax collectors where shunned by the Pharisees. Yet Jesus, the Son of Man, embraced such people and called upon them to leave their sinful life behind. Jesus forgave Matthew of his sins and reached out to him with love – just as Jesus still does today. I am a follower of Jesus. I have been now for almost 40 years and He has never failed me. Even when I have failed him! Are you following this Jesus? He is calling you to follow Him out of his love for you. His love compels you, but He won't force you to follow, as that would not be love. Jesus leaves the choice with you. Follow or not! Come back tomorrow for Day 12 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together at that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We will see together, Jesus teaching something new to one of the teachers of the Law! See you soon! Right Mouse click or tap here to save this as an audio mp3 file

Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, who would've been despised by everyone at that time. Despite being looked down on and despised by society, Jesus still calls all those who are “sick from sin” that they may be healed and follow Him.From the lowest of blue-collar workers to the white-collar criminals, Jesus is truly for everyone. We show more about our connection to Christ in the way we accept a new brother or sister into the family of God than by years of religious deeds.No, we must only be concerned that people find the forgiveness which may be offered to them once repentance is made.

As Jesus teaches in Capernaum he walks by a tax booth and calls Levi (Matthew) to come and follow him. He does. Jesus makes that call to all of his children and our job is to make a clean break with our lives and to give ourselves to Jesus.

As Jesus teaches in Capernaum he walks by a tax booth and calls Levi (Matthew) to come and follow him. He does. Jesus makes that call to all of his children and our job is to make a clean break with our lives and to give ourselves to Jesus.

Rev Robbie Ytterberg preaches his sermon "Who Does Jesus Call? - Levi/Matthew" in our sermon series Just Like Us. August 12 & 13, 2023.

Nothing is as captivating as a good story. In fact, Jesus told stories and parables to help bring God's teaching to life in the hearts of His followers. This summer, we are hosting an exciting guest speaker series called Tell Me A Story. Join us each weekend to hear our guest speakers tell powerful stories from the Bible. In this message, Terrence Turman shares the story of Levi, an enemy to his own people, yet Jesus calls him. Like Levi, we are fully known and seen by God. Jesus calls us to follow Him. Are we ready to stop hiding what Jesus already sees? Are we prepared to discover the purpose that He has for our lives?

Deuteronomy: Moses continues giving the instructions to Israel before they enter the land, about administering justice, portions for Levites and false prophets. Luke: Jesus heals a lame man and calls Levi (Matthew) the tax collector.

Welcome to Bible Bedtime! Tonight I will read Luke 5, where Jesus dines at the home of the tax collector Levi (Matthew) and is criticized for hanging out with sinners. After the chapter, I will read from Proverbs 10:11-20; and finish with the Lord's Prayer. Please join us on the Bible Bedtime Facebook page: just look for "Bible Bedtime Podcast." Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/biblebedtime. While there is no expectation of your support, if you feel led to bless me with a small contribution in any amount, it would mean the world to me. Your gift will help offset the costs of producing and distributing Bible Bedtime worldwide. You can leave a love offering at https://plus.acast.com/s/biblebedtime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) the tax collector to be his disciple.The sermon for this episode is called "Pariah" and can be found at https://pondergmc.org/ministries/sermonsNEW!: Rate us at Podchaser Find us at www.pondergmc.org. Feedback is welcome: PonderMethodist@gmail.com Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team. Cover Art: Joe Wagner Recorded, edited and mixed by Snikrock

Levi Lives - Chapter 35: The First Day - The Levels of Life. Dedicated to Emily Ebben, Olivia, and Ivy. Inspired by the Gospel of Levi/Matthew, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@srisriravishankar) and Krishna Das (@krishnadasmusic). Cover art by Jenna Faline (@falineave). Sounds and instruments by Arlyn Ruddy (@awaken_spanda) and Moochie (@b_overstreet).

On this Lord's Day we look at Jesus's call to Levi (Matthew) to follow Him recorded in Mark 2:13-17

Pastor Josh brings us some fascinating context from the account when Christ called Levi -Matthew- to follow Him.

Pastor Josh brings us some fascinating context from the account when Christ called Levi -Matthew- to follow Him.

This Lord's Day, Pastor Jonathan will be preaching through the Gospel of Mark. The Apostle Mark writes with a powerful and energetic literary style. In this message, we find Jesus' calling of Levi -Matthew- involves Him eating with the tax collectors. This confuses the religious leaders, and they suggest he is eating with the wrong crowd.

Point: Our part is to call people who are apart to be a part of the body of Christ. Scripture: Luke 5:27-32 Principles for studying a passage of Scripture: Comprehension: Asks - What does the passage say? Interpretation: Asks - What does the passage mean? Application: Asks - How should this passage change me? Questions: 1. Read Luke 5:27-32 together as a group. Comprehension: In your own words, how would you summarize what is happening in this story? Comprehension: There are at least 4 different audiences of people in this passage. Who are those? What are the differences between those audiences? Explain. Comprehension: Read verses 31 and 32 again. Why did Jesus choose to minister to tax collectors and sinners instead of the Pharisees? Explain your answer. Interpretation: Why do you think it was such a big deal that Jesus called a tax collector to be his disciple? Why would the Pharisees, or maybe even some of Jesus' disciples, have had a problem with it? Interpretation: Why did Levi (Matthew) leave everything to follow Jesus, even throwing him a huge feast and inviting his co-workers and friends? Explain your answer. Interpretation: In verse 31, Luke relates our sinful hearts and minds with physical sickness, and Jesus with a physician. What does this say about hearts and minds? What does this say about the hope we have in Christ? Explain. Application: What does this passage tell us about God's character? About who Jesus is? Application: How does your character need to change in order to better image Jesus to your friends, family, co-workers, etc.? Application: How do you view the people around you? Do you view them as “sick” or helpless and needy in heart and mind? Or as godless sinners who are outside the reach of Christ? Does this affect the way you share the gospel? Explain your answer. Application: How should this story change the way you view and share the gospel with others? Explain.

Jesus' interactions with Levi (Matthew) and Nicodemus show us the power of what it means to step into the risk of growing into the new things to which God invites us. The right expression of vulnerability within authority leads to a flourishing life.

During our 2022 Lenten Journey to Easter we'll take a look at moments throughout scripture in which a meal with Jesus ends up being so much more… not just food for the body, but also food for the soul.

In this sermon on Mark 2:13-17, Pastor Andy Davis preaches that Christ alone can cure the sin diseases that plagues us all. -TRANSCRIPT- A Parable of a Pandemic Turning your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark, we continue our study here today in the text, Mark 2: 13-17. Since approximately March of 2020, the human race has been experiencing what medical experts call a pandemic. I don't really think I had heard that word before. I had heard the word epidemic many times, and I used it in sentences, but suddenly this word pandemic came on my consciousness. An epidemic occurs when a disease in one geographic locality results in a sudden increase in cases of that disease in that one place. A pandemic occurs when that outbreak spreads widely over a vast geographical region, or even worldwide affecting a sizeable portion of the population. The word itself, “pandemic”, comes from two Greek words, “pan”, meaning all, and “demos”, meaning people, literally all the people. I have no problem with the use of the word, but in actuality, when it comes to physical diseases, actual maladies, there has technically never been a pandemic in all of human history. There is no single disease which literally infects or affects all the people of the entire world. Or is there? In our text today, Jesus clearly likens sin to a disease and his own ministry, to the healing work of a physician. Jesus visited the house of Levi, a tax collector, and a huge number of tax collectors and sinners came that night to Levi's house, and Jesus ate with them. The scribes, who were Pharisees, were outraged. They prided themselves in avoiding all contact with such defiled, wicked people. Much of their religion was based on them avoiding the sins of such people. They didn't do this, and they didn't do that, and they stayed far away from people who did such wicked things. They spiritually quarantined themselves from sinners, less they should somehow catch the contagion of their sins. So when Jesus violated this principle and dove right into the midst of a crowd of tax collectors and sinners, when he ate food with them and drank drink with them, and when he reclined at table with them, and conversed pleasantly with them, these religiously quarantined Pharisees were scandalized, shocked, stunned, enraged. To them it was clear proof, Jesus is not from God, for God is pure and holy, far above all evil. He's close to the pure and upright, people like them. Jesus addressed their accusation with a clear analogy in verse 17, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I've not come to call the righteous, but sinners." So sin is a sickness, and Jesus is the physician. Let's go back to the way I began my sermon with a meditation on the word “pandemic.” I said, there's never been, historically, a true pandemic in the literal sense of the etymology, a physical disease and actual malady that has swept through the entire population of the world. Perhaps the most famous is the Black Death, the bubonic plague, which ravaged three continents from the year 1346 to 1353. We read of whole towns being wiped off the face of the map by death. Estimates range from 75 to 200 million dead, record keeping just wasn't what it is today, scientific as it is today. The estimated 50 million dead of Europe would've represented maybe as high as 60% of the population of that continent. That dwarfs any other medical tragedy in all of human history, but it's still not 100%. There really is only one pandemic, and that is sin. The Bible tells us that all people, the entire human race sinned in Adam. Romans 5:12, “Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin.” And in this way, death came to all men, because all sinned. So we sinned positionally in Adam, the entire human race. All human beings are conceived in sin, born in sin, steeped in sin from infancy. Confirm their sin as soon as they understand right from wrong in the existence of a holy and good God, who demands that they love him and serve him with every fiber of their being, every moment of their lives, and that they love and serve their neighbors as themselves. As soon as every solitary human being understands right from wrong, they begin their evil career. Their career in sin, all of us do. Listen to this universal description of sin in Romans 3:10-12, “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God, all have turned away. They have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one.” Now dear friends, that is the language of a true pandemic. All the people, every single human being on the face of the earth is infected with this terrible disease of sin. Puritan pastor Ralph Venning, who pastored in London during a later terrible outbreak of the Black Death in 1665, 4 years after that, wrote a treatise on sin called “The Plague of Plagues”. He made it plain that sin is worse than any physical disease could ever be: "Sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, the contempt of his love. It is the upbringing of his providence, the scoff of his promise, the reproach of his wisdom. Sin seeks to sit in God's place ruling over all God's works. What God has made beautiful, sin universally makes ugly." It is a true pandemic, because there's not a single location on earth where human beings reside that is free from this plague. All over the earth, human beings are born in inequity. They grow up in fanatical and prideful commitment to self-interest. They would seek to rule over their own lives as they see fit, contrary to the word of God. They spread their contagious pride and lust and covetous greed, and murderous anger, and filthy language wherever they go. This is the plague of plagues, and it is the only true pandemic. It is far deadlier than any physical malady has ever been, because it threatens humanity, not only with physical death on earth, but with eternal death in hell. One of the great problems of this pandemic is that it affects the perceptions of the ones that have the disease, so they don't think that they're sick. I want to tell you a little parable. Imagine living in a populous and influential town in Europe, in the 14th century, during the height of the Black Death. Imagine that you yourself have the telltale signs of the infection: painfully swollen lymph nodes, you have chills, headache fever. A few hours later, it develops into tissue bleeding and intense abdominal pain. You stagger out into the street and you see every member of your family looking just like you. So, also, all your neighbors. And as you stumble down the street, you see every tradesman and merchant slumped by his shop with the same telltale signs all over their bodies. But suddenly you hear a call summoning all the citizens of the town to assemble. You recognize the voice. You make your way to the town center. And there you see the prince, the son of the king, and he's standing straight and tall, strong, and he's holding a loft in his hand a flask. It's got a liquid in it and he cries aloud, "Hear ye, hear ye, all ye members of this noble town, you are all stricken with a dread disease, and will shortly die if you're not immediately healed. Now, I have come with your cure. If you'll allow me to pour this elixir down your throat, you'll be cured immediately. But this cure is only offered to those who know they are sick." Hope rises in your heart. You look around to your friends and your family member, and you say, "Let's go and be healed." But one by one, they turn their faces away, and they all say, "I'm not sick. I'm fine." You're stunned. But you're determined. You have no other choice. You can't imagine that the prince, a kind and wise man, would be lying to the people. You join in a small group of obviously sick people waiting your turn. One by one, those ahead of you open their mouths and the prince pours of medicine down their throats. And immediately they're visibly improved, strengthened, revived. They jump to their feet. Soon their skin becomes ruddy and obviously healthy again. Now at lasts it's your turn. And you open your mouth and the medicine flows in. You feel a surge of energy within you. And you know, you have been truly healed. You can feel it in your body. The prince then walks through the town, holding the same flask of loft. A small entourage of newly healed people follows in his train. He cries out, "Here's the cure. You need only to come and drink, and you'll be healed." But most of the people in the town turn away saying, "I'm not sick." You speak to your friends, neighbors, even beloved family members, but the disease seems to have affected their minds. They're delusional. They say, "I know. I feel a little weak and I have a few sores on my skin, but everyone has that. I mean, look around. Besides, look, I can stand up. I can walk. I'm not coughing much. I can pick up a pitcher water and lift it high. I'm fine. I don't need that." Friends, I wonder if this is what the world looks like to the angels who look down on our sin, sick human race, as the gospel makes its way around the world. I especially wonder at some people who think they're good enough people not to need a savior like Jesus. This sermon flows from a text that addresses that very issue. Last time we saw Jesus' amazing authority to forgive sins. You remember four friends lowered the paralyzed man down through a hole in the roof that they'd made with their own hands. They unroofed the roof, and they lowered the paralyzed man down. It says in Mark 2:5, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son your sins are forgiven." And when Jesus' enemies heard him say that they thought in their hearts, “Who is this man, he's blaspheming, who can forgive sins, but God alone?”. Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, "Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to the paralytic, 'Get up, take your mat, and go home.’But I want you to know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins, and he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat, and go home.’ He got up in full view of them all picked as mat and walked out.” Jesus proved his greatest power, the power to forgive sins. In the language of the pandemic I've been describing, Jesus has the cure to the deadliest disease that's ever faced the human race, the disease of sin. He has absolute power of God to forgive of all of our sins for all time. The Great Physician Calls a Sick Sinner Now in this text, we're going to see the only people he will forgive. In the language of the pandemic, the only people this great physician will heal are those who know that they are sick with sin. My first point: the great physician calls a sick sinner. Look at verse was 13 and 14, “Once again, Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector's booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him. And Levi got up and followed him.” The location of this particular story is out by the seashore, the Sea of Galilee. The huge crowds that followed him were so overwhelming. As we saw last time, this is why they unroofed the roof. So overwhelming that no building is big enough to hold them all. Jesus is outdoors a lot walking beside the Sea of Galilee, a huge crowd follows. Again, as always, his top priority is teaching, preaching the word. It's the most important thing he does. The primacy of the word. All of Jesus' miracles address temporary issues in the people's lives, temporary problems that they're facing, sickness, pain, hunger, but the ministry of the word addresses the root issue, the state of their souls before all mighty God. Preaching of the word alone addresses the real problem, the root of the issue. As He's walking along, He meets a man named Levi, the tax collector. Jesus is constantly moving from place to place, constantly walking. This gives me a picture of a spiritual pilgrimage that we're on. We're moving from here on to another place. Jesus said, "You know the way to the place where I'm going." They said, "We don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There's a sense of Jesus walking along, and He's calling on us to get up and follow him. We're going somewhere, we’re going to heaven. On the beach of Normandy, D-Day, June 6th, 1944, that coastline along the north of France, the troops landed in sections of beach that were completely prepared to repel the invasion. Every square inch of the beach had been pre-sighted, was under the constant assault of precision artillery, and machine gun fire. There was not a single safe place on that beach. If they stayed there by the water's edge, they would most certainly die. So it is when it comes to following Jesus, you can't stay where you are. You almost certainly die. So He's walking along, he says, "Follow me." And that's what happened with Levi, son of Alphaeus. He's walking along, He sees Levi sitting at the tax collectors booth, and He calls him, as a master calls a disciple, as a king commands a subject, "Follow me." Instantly Levi gets up and follows him. Now imagine what the crowd must have thought. Tax collectors are among the most despised people in the world. The Roman conquest inevitably led to taxes. It was their spoil, the ongoing plunder and spoil from them conquering that part of the world. The tax money flowed into the Roman coffers and made the Roman emperor's rich, “and enabled them to transform the city of brick into a city of marble," Caesar Augustus boasted. The actual collecting of the taxes was handled locally. Herod Antipas was responsible to Rome for a certain load of taxes every year. Herod then recruited collectors, by selling tax collecting franchises to Jews who were willing to buy them. This was a lucrative business. The tax collectors were protected by the power of Rome, to touch them was to incur a Roman death sentence on your head, so they were inviolate, you couldn't touch them. The tax collectors were required to collect a certain tax quota and anything beyond that amount was theirs to keep. Obviously the system was rife with corruption, and they could get very wealthy, but the social cost was very high. They were seen to be traitors. All over the world, tax collectors are seen to be traitors to their neighbors and their countrymen, but especially among the Jews, because there's a theological side to it. That was the promised land they were living in. The land had been promised to Abraham and to his seed forever. The Romans therefore were seen to be interlopers. Therefore, later in Mark's gospel, some are going to come to Jesus in Mark 12, with this question, "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?" This is a question. So how much worse were Jewish tax collectors, collaborating with this oppressive Roman regime? They're all almost despised as much as lepers, maybe in some ways worse than lepers who were declared officially, spiritually unclean. They couldn't come to the temple. If you went to their house, you were unclean. And to make matters worse, tax collectors, being barred from the religious life of the Jews, mostly gave up on being pious at all. They used to live openly, profligate, wicked lives. They lived “high on the hog,” so to speak. They ate whatever they wanted, they drank, there was sexual immorality. I mean, that was just how they lived. That was the life of a tax collector. Every night they would get together and feast, and Levi, son of Alphaeus, was a tax collector. What did this call from Jesus mean? Well, He's calling Levi, who we know is Matthew, that's his Greek name, to follow him as a disciple. So imagine the stunned reaction of the crowd. Everyone undoubtedly knew Levi, and they hated him. More importantly though, Jesus knew Levi, because He knows all people. He knows what's inside someone's heart. He knows that Levi is ready to follow him, ready to be set free from sin. And Levi, undoubtedly, knew who Jesus was. Jesus was known by everyone. He, undoubtedly, would've heard of all of these healings and these amazing teachings. Jesus was calling on Levi to get up and burn that bridge. He was not going to be able to go back to the tax collecting office. Somebody else would come and take his place. To follow Jesus meant that the world had become dead to him, and he to the world. Now Levi certainly didn't understand all that at that point, but he would. He would learn that “foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, and the son of man has no place to lay his head.” He's burning that bridge. But Levi lost the world and gained his soul. Sins are forgiven. That night he celebrated with all of his friends who happened to be tax collectors and sinners. That's who he knew, and he called them to a big banquet at his house. The Great Physician Heals Many Sick Sinners Second point: the great physician heals many sick sinners. Look at verse 15, “While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.” It's well known that the first days of a new convert, that individual has the greatest evangelistic opportunities they'll ever have in their Christian life, because all their friends and probably their whole family are all unbelievers. They have opportunities to have some influence to talk about their new life in Christ. And so, as I said, Matthew's friends are in the tax collection business, and the party that night was at at Levi's house. That's where we're going. In the course of time, the Holy Spirit would choose Levi, (Matthew), to write one of the four accounts of Jesus' life. Levi(Matthew)’s list of converts over 20 centuries will be vast and unmeasurable. But his journey of evangelistic fruitfulness began that night at his house, with all of his sinful friends. Tax collectors and sinners, most of your English translations have the word “sinners” in quotations, the way these people were understood back then, that’s who was there. Self-righteous people tend to divide the world into two categories, good people and bad people. You got the sinners and the righteous. The good people are moral, law abiding, fine upstanding citizens. They attend religious services. They're probably good looking. They're successful. They're winners. They're not a drain on society. Then you've got the bad people, the sinners. The sinners are people who lived immoral lives. They, in this case, had cast restraint to the wind. They were drunk, thieves, thugs, prostitutes, scoundrels, highway robbers, and fun-loving folk whose slogan would probably be something like “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Those are the sinners. Now, interestingly, both the self-righteous and the sinners, so-called, accepted this basic division. Religion was for the good people. Both the Pharisees and the sinners thought there could be no salvation for the sinners. But that night, revival broke out at Matthew's house, a vast number of tax collectors and sinners are brought to faith in Christ. Missionary C.T, Studd, a missionary to China, said that, "Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bell, but I want to run a mission, a yard from the gate of hell." No one did that better than Jesus. That's why He plunges in and immerses himself in this feast with the tax collectors and sinners. That's where the people He wanted to save were. A ray of sunlight is not defiled by a pile of stinking garbage, it remains pure. When Jesus touched the leper, He didn't get leprosy. He poured healing into that man. When He went to that feast, He wasn't defiled by it, He transformed it. I imagine He told some of his parables, his stories. He seized the moment with his teaching, and captivated their hearts. His words were unlike any that anyone had ever seen. And perhaps some of them wept because they realized for the first time they actually could be forgiven. There was an actual possibility of forgiveness for them. They could actually have a relationship with God, because here's the son of God telling them so. Instead of seeing judgment and rage and wrath, they saw compassion and love and forgiveness flowing from him like sunlight, like beautiful, pure water from a crystal mountain spring. That's what they saw in Jesus. They didn't defile him, He saved them. He cleansed them by the preaching of the word. And they followed him too. Look at verse 15, “And there were many who followed him.” They got up, spiritually, from their sinful lives and began following him on a highway of holiness. The great physician was healing their souls, and speaking to them the words they never thought they could ever hear, "Your sins are forgiven. Your sins are forgiven. Your sins are forgiven." The Great Physician Accused by the Self-Righteous Point three: the great physician was accused by the self-righteous. Verse 16, “When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” So now here are these people again, aren't you sick of them? I mean, it's like every account, they just show up. They're dogging Jesus' steps, these Scribes and Pharisees, the self-righteous religionists of the day. They believed they were righteous, they believed they were healthy, they believed they were secure. They'd never murdered anyone physically, so they were holy. They'd never committed adultery physically, so they were holy. They followed all the temple rules and the regulation. They made all the religious sacrifices. They attended all the convocations prescribed by the laws of Moses. They were the chosen race, the sons of Abraham, and they were special among them, because they poured over the laws daily. They had, so they believed, never broken a single command of God from their youth. Do you know how many people said that to Jesus? Numbers of them said, "From my youth, I've kept a whole law." Furthermore, they isolated themselves from people like this. Like I said, they're in a spiritual quarantine. They didn't get involved. They almost certainly didn't go into Matthew's house. No way. They were, so they thought, the healthy spiritually, so they believed. They had no need of a physician from an illness they absolutely did not think they had, so they grumbled against Jesus. In their mind, by Jesus eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners, He was every bit as defiled as they were. Now, just stop for a minute and be amazed at them, at this whole thing. Self-righteous people, who not only hate the sinners who are not leading as moral lives as they are, but they hate the only, truly, morally, perfectly pure man that's ever lived. They hate him too, because he testifies about them that their works are evil. They hated him. because he exposed their hypocrisy. He actually, to some degree, said they had the pandemic worse than anyone else. They would settle into a powerful, durable opposition to Jesus, leading ultimately to his death. The Great Physician Declares Who He Will Heal Point four, the great physician declares who He will heal. Look at verse 17, “On hearing this Jesus said to them, ‘It is not healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” This is a vital teaching. I believe Jesus, by this one statement, gives us permission to see all of his physical healings, literal physical healings, as pictures of this spiritual healing we all need. You can look at him healing a man born blind and see a spiritual healing from our spiritual blindness. We have the permission to just go from the healings to the spiritual realm, from this one statement. Healing sinners of sin by calling them to repent to their sins and believe the gospel is the true healing He came to do. It's the only one that really mattered, because sin is the ultimate plague of plagues. And Jesus is the only physician with the cure to the true ailment of the human condition, the sickness of sin. Now this therapeutic, this healing view of salvation is essential to how I understand much of the Christian life in my ministry. It's one of the ways that I've tended to resolve gnarly issues of divine sovereignty and human will, Calvinism, other things like that. You hear sometimes of the doctrine of irresistible grace, others call sovereign grace or effectual calling. I think if you look at it therapeutically, it all becomes clear. I believe that all conversions are in some sense, a work of healing, of therapy. Let's look at the healing of the man born blind. The eye was crafted by God to see light. It's what it was made to do, to give a true view of the world in its radiant colors to the mind. When someone is blind, it is a clear violation of God's original purpose for that exquisite organ, the eye. When Jesus healed the man born blind, when he healed his eyes, then his sight was restored and he saw as God intended, light flooded in. Jesus told him, "When your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." Light, it just worked, it flooded in, and he saw beauty in color. In the same way, our souls, our hearts were meant to appraise things, comprehend them, evaluate them, and then be attracted to the good and repulsed from the evil, like God. That's what we're made for. We were ultimately meant to be attracted to God, himself, to love him above everything else, to be attracted to God. He is the purest light, He’s the most beautiful being in the universe. It is a sick, diseased heart and soul that hates God. So when God takes the heart of stone out and gives you the heart of flesh, that's a work of therapy. That's a healing that He does. He's healing the sick, sin twisted heart to love what is the most perfectly love worthy being in the universe, God, himself. It's like water flowing downhill, it's just going to happen. When the healing happens, the person follows Jesus, the person loves Christ. The heart's going to be drawn in love to Christ, and see his beauty and delight in it and follow him. And it's also going to flow out horizontally. We're going to start loving our neighbor as ourselves. We're going to see them in the image of God, and we're going to start loving them. It's just the healing that happens. So salvation's a healing of this sin sick human heart. Now Jesus says here, He did not come to heal the self-righteous. “Healthy people," He says, "have no need of a physician." They don't come to a doctor. Now imagine a person managing to pull some strings and get a consultation with a busy specialist. Maybe let's say the greatest heart doctor in the world. So this heart doctor is a world renowned, extremely difficult specialist. You can't get to this man, but turns out that this person has an influential friend, who can pull the strings and get him a session with the cardiologist. The cardiologist has flown in from some distant city and comes to the clinic in that person's city. They sit down and the cardiologist says, "Okay, tell me what's going on? What are your symptoms? How long have you been experiencing pain in your chest?" The man says, "Oh, I actually don't have any pain in my chest. I don't have any symptoms at all." "What?" "Oh no, I'm in fine condition. I think actually my cardio is the best part of my body." "Well, what do you want me for? What am I here for then? That makes no sense at all. Why did I fly here to talk to you? If you're not sick, you don't need me." Jesus said that, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor." Then look at the second devastating statement He makes here, "I have not come to call the righteous." Jesus came from heaven to earth. He came into the world for a purpose. He came from heaven to earth to do his Father's will. He entered the world of suffering and sin and death, but He did not come because the world was fine as it was before He got here. He did not come for the righteous. He didn't come from heaven to earth to tell you how wonderfully righteous you are. That's not why Jesus came, not at all. He did not come for people who don't think they need a savior. Essential to everyone's salvation by Jesus Christ is this, that they admit that their heart is sin sick and twisted. As Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, who can understand it.” Christ cannot do anything for these self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who consider themselves healthy, spiritually, pure and free from sin. He didn't come for them. Who did He come to heal? Look at verse 17, “’It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The Great Physician Calls Each of Us So what you need to do right now, you need to ask the Lord to show you the depth of your own sinfulness, and the way He does that, that diagnostic of the soul is the law of God. By the law of God, He probes us all. The Ten Commandments are designed to reveal the corruption of the human heart. The 10th commandment, you shall not covet, shows that the desires of the heart matter. Then Jesus feeds those back into the issues of anger and lust and shows He's not just looking at the outside behavior. He's looking at the attitude and demeanor of the heart. We have all broken the Ten Commandments, and we violated the two Great Commandments. We don't live every moment of our lives in loving service to God or in service to others. We are sin sick. Ask the Lord to show it to you. Cry out against yourself. Declare to Jesus that you are prideful and lustful and covetous and selfish. Acknowledge patterns of anger that would be murderous, if they weren't restrained by human laws. Admit every natural bent of your life is to feed your stomach and your pleasures, and have people honor you and elevate you and have your body pleasured and your ego stroked. Admit that you do not love God with every fiber of your being. And admit with Paul, the depth of the sin problem. Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.” We're called to repentance. In Luke, there's an extra little phrase added, Luke 5:31, 32. Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I've not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." To repentance. Sin is willful rebellion against almighty God. Jesus is calling on sinners to repent, to hate the sin, to grieve over the sin, and turn away from it. Jesus is saying He will pay the penalty for our past, present, and future sinfulness by the shedding of his own blood on the cross. To repent then is to cry out against ourselves. To know we don't deserve to lift our eyes to heaven, to beat our breasts and cry out against ourselves, and say, "What a wretched person I am, who will save me from this sin. Be merciful to me, oh God, the sinner." It is to resolve to hate our sins and grieve over our sins, and forsake our sins and fight against our sin for the rest of our lives by the power of the Spirit. This is the person that Jesus heals, and He does heal completely. With the joy of Levi and his tax collecting friends, we can leap for joy, we can know that the holy judge of all the earth has looked upon us and declared all of our sins forgiven. The Great Physician has looked upon our corrupt sin sick souls, and is determined to heal them. And when He is done saving us, we will be 100% healthy for all eternity, conformed to his heart. The Great Physician is now calling each one of us. Admit that your heart is desperately sick. Get rid of the normative view in the world, “I am basically a good person,” get rid of that. Scripture reveals that you are not basically a good person. See yourself in the text. Say, "I am one of the sinners at that feast." Trust in Christ to heal your soul of sin. Then understand, unlike the physical healings Jesus did, remember the seven elements of the healing. Let me zero in, the healing of our souls is not instantaneous. The forgiveness of our sins is instantaneous, but God wills a long, progressive healing of our souls from sin. Do you remember that healing in Mark 8, He heals a man in stages, remember the blind man? He spits on his eyes and touches him. He says, "What do you see?" He said, "Well, I see people. They look like trees walking around." Then Jesus touched him again, and the scripture says he saw everything clearly. Was Jesus just having a bad day? I mean, what happens? He intentionally healed him in stages. Do you see everything clearly? Or do you see through a glass darkly? Do you not need an ongoing healing in your soul from sin? I do. Isn't that why you're here today? Jesus has the power to heal your souls completely. It’s progressive. It’s instantaneous forgiveness, progressive healing of the heart, and then instantaneous perfection at the end. I'm looking forward to that final stage. Aren't you? When Jesus finishes his healing in you and me, and we'll be done forever with sin.

Daily Biblical Readings And Reflection By Rev. Father Felix Kyei Baffour. Please SUBSCRIBE Now To Mary's Castle Podcast So You Don't Miss Any Episode. Thank You!

LUKE 5:27-32 - Jesus Calls Matthew (Levi) To Follow Him - 2BeLikeChrist While around Capernaum, Jesus called Levi (Matthew) to follow Him and become one of His disciples. Afterward, Matthew invited Jesus to his house for a meal with other tax collectors. Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/2BeLikeChrist Link to our Book - https://www.2belikechrist.com/books Link to the notes (free digital copy) - https://www.2belikechrist.com/bible-study-notes My other channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCafLpACIMa6CBpQK5MjePxQ #Biblestudy #2BeLikeChrist #Biblevideos

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3 : 17 If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but to save the world. John 12 : 47 13 Jesus went out again along the [Galilean] seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. 14 As He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) the son of Alphaeus sitting in the [a]tax collector's booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And he got up and followed Him [becoming His disciple, believing and trusting in Him and following His example]. 15 And it happened that Jesus was reclining at the table in Levi's house, and many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were eating with Him and His disciples; for there were many of them and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes [belonging to the sect] of the Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with the sinners [including non-observant Jews] and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness].” Mark 2 : 13-17 I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes; How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin? Job 31 : 1 Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6 : 18 Drink water from your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship] And fresh running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs (children) be dispersed, As streams of water in the streets? 17 [Confine yourself to your own wife.] Let your children be yours alone, And not the children of strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain (wife) be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], And rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 Let her be as a loving hind and graceful doe, Let her breasts refresh and satisfy you at all times; Always be exhilarated and delight in her love. Proverbs 5 : 15-19 So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God]. Colossians 3 : 5 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. Romans 12 : 1

The calling of Levi (Matthew) - the beginning of a new priesthood. Three quick parables used by Jesus to answer a question about fasting. In what way do these three short teachings go together? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/support

In this text, we examine who the -tax collectors- were and why Levi-Matthew was a most unlikely candidate for following Jesus. Then we see Jesus' interaction with sinners and what was so unique about His message.

Jesus Makes Outsiders Insiders

Jesus Makes Outsiders Insiders

Returning from Gergesa to the western shore, Jesus found a multitude gathered to receive Him, and they greeted Him with joy. He remained by the seaside for a time, teaching and healing, and then repaired to the house of Levi-Matthew to meet the publicans at the feast. Here Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, found Him.

Have you ever played follow the leader? The more you focus on the leader, the better you do at the game. So, what are you following? Who are you following? Let's look at Levi/Matthew to learn a few lessons about following our Leader.Have you made a decision? Are you looking for help? We would love to connect with you at www.solidrockbc.net/connectionlink.Support the show (https://solidrockbc.breezechms.com/give/online)

Be inspired and encouraged as you listen to the dramatised audio version of the book The Desire of Ages.

Of the Roman officials in Palestine, none were more hated than the publicans. The fact that the taxes were imposed by a foreign power was a continual irritation to the Jews, being a reminder that their independence had departed. And the taxgatherers were not merely the instruments of Roman oppression; they were extortioners on their own account, enriching themselves at the expense of the people. A Jew who accepted this office at the hands of the Romans was looked upon as betraying the honor of his nation. He was despised as an apostate, and was classed with the vilest of society.

Pastor Matt Harmless presents sermon number 21 out of our series on Luke. In this sermon, Luke 5:27-32 is covered. It is the story of the calling of Levi (Matthew) and Jesus' subsequent feasting with Matthew's acquaintances... sinners all! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edgewood-church/message

This week's Jesus Stories podcast continues the narrative of Jesus' ministry in Galilee. We start in Capernaum – Jesus' home base – where he teaches and, again, confronts an evil spirit. This is followed by more teaching and lots of healings. We'll see two well-known healings: Peter's mother-in-law and the man let down through the roof of an over-crowded house. Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) and then attends a party which Levi throws for him. In both of these last instances, Jesus confronts the attitudes of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. I reference a map of the region in today's show. Here it is! Map of Jesus's Ministry in Galilee. (Click to enlarge.) Scripture references for today's show are: Mark 1:29-34 Matthew 4:23-25 Mark 1:40-45 Leviticus 13:1-46 Leviticus 14 Mark 2:1-14 John 9:1-3 Luke 5:27-39 Matthew 9:9-13 Hosea 6:6 You'll find this episode's audio book here. Don't forget to share this podcast with your social media friends. You'll find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and You Tube (coming). You can also find a template for making up business cards to share with your friends and acquaintances here. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.  

Today Pastor Derek Steinmuller walks us through the calling of Levi (Matthew), and How Jesus "came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance".

Chapter 28- Levi-Matthew Book: The Desire Of Ages by EGW This chapter is based on Matt. 9:9-17; Mark 2:14-22; Luke 5:27-39. Discussed live on Instagram by Pastor David Asscherick on 3/21/2021 Videos can be found on the David Asscherick YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/DavidAsscherick David's Word: Filled

The call of Levi/ Matthew is the call by Jesus to EACH OF US. Jesus, the Divine Physician, came to heal the sin sick soul. The medicine of DIVINE MERCY is offered is that which heals. Lent is the season of MERCY and HEALING and NEWNESS OF LIFE. Jesus says to us, "FOLLOW ME". How will YOU respond? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fr-william-maestri-overfed-and-undernourished/support

Introduction: The Gospel According to Luke Ch.1 Introduction. Birth of John the Baptist Foretold. Jesus' Birth Foretold. Mary Visits Elizabeth. The Magnificat. John Is Born. Zacharias's Prophecy. Ch.2 Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem. Jesus Presented at the Temple. Return to Nazareth. Visit to Jerusalem. Ch.3 John the Baptist Preaches. Jesus is Baptized. Genealogy of Jesus. Ch.4 The Temptation of Jesus. Jesus' Public Ministry. Many Are Healed. Ch.5 The First Disciples. The Leper and the Paralytic. Call of Levi (Matthew).

Today we’ll look at how Jesus called Levi (Matthew) in Luke Chapter 5. We’ll consider how we can respond to Jesus, either like Levi or like the Pharisees. Resources and a transcript for this episode can be found at bethel.ch/podcasts.Connect with us online at bethel.ch or find us @bethelchurchwa on Instagram and Bethel Church WA on Facebook

A crippled man is carried by his 4 companions through a massive crowd, up onto the roof of the house Jesus was preaching in, then lowered down to him through the hole they cut in the roof. Jesus, because of this great display of faith, forgave this man of his sins, and healed him. The man walked out, to the amazement of the people. Also, Jesus acquires a new follower, Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, and invites Himself to his house for dinner. Your faith will make you whole. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/biblereadaloud/support

Pastor Drew takes us through Luke 5:27-32, where Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to be His disciple.

Pastor Drew takes us through Luke 5:27-32, where Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to be His disciple.

Praying through the book of Luke chapter 5:27-32 and Charles Spurgeons prayers “To be like Christ”

The encouraging news of the gospel continues as Jesus calls Levi -Matthew- and provides a stirring message for all to hear. Listen to learn more.

As we journey with Jesus by the Sea, we see Him call Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, to come and follow Him. He joins the other disciples and begins ministry with them and Jesus, we don't hear about the history of who they are and where they come from. Not that it doesn't matter, but what matters most is the mission of Christ, and what He has called them to.

In Luke 5:1-11 Jesus calls His disciples. In verses 12-16 Jesus cleanses a leper. In verses 17-26 Jesus heals a paralytic. In verses 27-32 Jesus calls Levi (Matthew). In verses 33-39 Jesus answers questions about fasting.

Fr. Evan discusses the calling of Levi (Matthew) the Disciple.

First, please excuse the coughing. I've been trying to shake this cold for a while now, but it won't stop me from doing my podcast! Today we're in Mark 2 where Jesus heals the paralyzed man, calls Levi (Matthew), the tax collector to follow Him, then goes to a party at his house with other "sinners". Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins once and for all. That means that all you have to do is... Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You for saving me. Amen.” Soli Deo Gloria -- to God Alone be the Glory! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Pastor Drew Worsham wraps up our Resolution series by opening up scripture to Mark chapter 2 to look at the life of Levi (Matthew) and how he gave up everything to follow Jesus. We learned that in order to be a good leader, we must first learn to be a good follower and to be “all in” with our relationship with Jesus.

1CHRONICLES 25-26:There was a rather important shift in Israel’s religious life that happened with David and his plans for temple worship rather than the older pattern of worship at the Tabernacle: It was that the priests and Levites were re-organized into groups appropriate to the new state of affairs, and no longer strictly based on the original family lines. This reordering was still in effect in the beginning of the New Testament, where we read that Zechariah was a member of the priestly division of Abijah. So we have precedent for not always ‘doing it’ the way it was done in the past. PROVERBS 21b:Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 21:30 GNT Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you. MATTHEW 1:Matthew’s Gospel was perhaps written as early as 50 AD, and some material was based on Mark’s Gospel. Matthew was probably written by Levi Matthew, the tax collector and the disciple of Jesus. He does not identify himself (similarly to John in John’s Gospel), but if he did, he would have started to do so in chapter 9. It is clear that Matthew was written for the Jewish audience, and indeed, at the time it was written, the Gospel had not yet gone far among the non-Jews. Again and again Matthew points to fulfillments of Scripture. And at times, especially near the end, he does not bother to use the words “This fulfilled …” but just includes a couple of words that would have been obvious allusions to Scripture for his audience.  An odd feature of this gospel is that sometimes ‘one’ thing or person in other Gospels switches to ‘two’ in Matthew. My own original opinion on that feature is this: Every assertion according to the Law needed to be maintained by at least two witnesses. At the times 1 becomes 2, I think Matthew is dropping the hint that he was an eyewitness. I saved Matthew for the last of the Gospels to be read in our reading calendar because I wanted to group together several New Testament books written to the Jewish audience. Today we will hear the genealogy of Jesus. [Correction] Many commentators think that Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, while Luke traces through Mary. There are hidden treasures to look for in both genealogies. GNT Translation note:Mat. 1:18 This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby [supernaturally caused] by the Holy Spirit.[The meaning is not that the Holy Spirit told Mary about her pregnancy, but that she conceived the baby by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can rightly be called the Father of the baby, but this was not fathership through a sexual union of any sort with God the Spirit.]

1CHRONICLES 25-26:There was a rather important shift in Israel’s religious life that happened with David and his plans for temple worship rather than the older pattern of worship at the Tabernacle: It was that the priests and Levites were re-organized into groups appropriate to the new state of affairs, and no longer strictly based on the original family lines. This reordering was still in effect in the beginning of the New Testament, where we read that Zechariah was a member of the priestly division of Abijah. So we have precedent for not always ‘doing it’ the way it was done in the past. PROVERBS 21b:Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 21:30 GNT Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you. MATTHEW 1:Matthew’s Gospel was perhaps written as early as 50 AD, and some material was based on Mark’s Gospel. Matthew was probably written by Levi Matthew, the tax collector and the disciple of Jesus. He does not identify himself (similarly to John in John’s Gospel), but if he did, he would have started to do so in chapter 9. It is clear that Matthew was written for the Jewish audience, and indeed, at the time it was written, the Gospel had not yet gone far among the non-Jews. Again and again Matthew points to fulfillments of Scripture. And at times, especially near the end, he does not bother to use the words “This fulfilled …” but just includes a couple of words that would have been obvious allusions to Scripture for his audience.  An odd feature of this gospel is that sometimes ‘one’ thing or person in other Gospels switches to ‘two’ in Matthew. My own original opinion on that feature is this: Every assertion according to the Law needed to be maintained by at least two witnesses. At the times 1 becomes 2, I think Matthew is dropping the hint that he was an eyewitness. I saved Matthew for the last of the Gospels to be read in our reading calendar because I wanted to group together several New Testament books written to the Jewish audience. Today we will hear the genealogy of Jesus. [CORRECTION:] Many commentators think that Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, while Luke traces through Mary. There are hidden treasures to look for in both genealogies. GNT Translation note:Mat. 1:18 This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby [supernaturally caused] by the Holy Spirit.[The meaning is not that the Holy Spirit told Mary about her pregnancy, but that she conceived the baby by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can rightly be called the Father of the baby, but this was not fathership through a sexual union of any sort with God the Spirit.]  

Luke 5:27-32 - Pastor Rob shares the story of Jesus calling Levi (Matthew) to follow him. As a tax collector, Levi was despised by society, but Jesus shows that God's salvation is for all. Are you isolated from the Levi's of the world? What are you doing with the Gospel treasure you have inside you?

Jesus calls Levi/Matthew to follow Him. Matthew was a tax-collector. Tax-collectors were hated, both because they collected taxes, but were doing so for the Roman Empire. Tax-collectors who were also Jewish were considered traitors. Even so, Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him. Jesus calls people like you and me who others may not think worthy, but Jesus does so anyway. As a result Matthew gives a reception for Jesus with other tax-collectors and those the religious leader think to be sinners. Addressing their criticism, Jesus says that it is the sick that need a physician. Unstated, but true, when it comes to sin and being sinners, we all are in need of a physician and Jesus is the Great Physician. Churches and Christ followers should understand that we are in the dual position of being in need of a physician for our sins and are ones who are to assist leading people to Jesus and teaching them so that they are healed in more than their bodies, but their souls as well. https://fbcwest.net/Service/5f301564-c8cd-4ca0-968f-e178ea3e0286/The-Call-of-Matthew-(Levi)

In Mark Chapter 02, Jesus heals a paralyzed man (the one through the roof!), calls Levi (Matthew) to be His disciple, discusses fasting and the Sabbath. Great Chapter!

In Chapter 09 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals a paralyzed man, calls Levi (Matthew) to be His disciple, is criticized about fasting by John the Baptist's disciples, heals the daughter of a leader in the synagogue, heals the blind, casts out another demon, and asks us to pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest for more workers. Great Chapter!

Marked by the Gospel Series continues with Mark's account of the calling of Levi (Matthew).

A portion of the introduction was not recorded.  The sermon will start as I am introducing what is meant for Levi to be a tax collector.

When I became a new believer, I found that I had new leadership in my life. I wasn’t looking for it and didn’t even think about it. But as I studied more about Jesus I found myself thinking about things from the perspective of “What would Jesus do?” As I learned more about Him, I started thinking about Doing what Jesus did. I couldn’t perform miracles and I couldn’t walk on water. If you are interested in doing what Jesus did, it means everything He did. Not just the miracles. How He lived His life. How He thought about His life. How He thinks about the world. About enemies. What are His priorities? If you are going to be a follower of Jesus, His priorities should be your priorities.Matthew had two names. A Jewish name and a Greek name. He was a tax collector and he worked for Rome. Jesus said “Follow me” and Levi/Matthew did. He left everything. Then Levi has a party for Jesus at his house. Lots of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were there too. They asked a question of the disciples. Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?Levi/Matthew’s caste was tax collector. It was more than a job. Levi was defined by his caste, his vocation and his moral standing (sinner). The house was filled with sinners. They were religious but they were sinners. Non-believers don’t think about sin. Only religious people think about their sins and therefore only religious people are called sinners. He was outside his caste. Why was Jesus hanging out with these people? It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. This is a universal principle. This is the purpose of His ministry. The call to follow Jesus does not discriminate and does not require cleaning up first. Jesus did not pray the sinner’s prayer with Matthew. Didn’t water baptize him or anything else. Matthew was not required to give any explanation for his previous life. He only had to do three things: hear Jesus, understand what Jesus was saying and then he had to say yes and obey. This was the beginning of following.There are a lot of people who want to follow Jesus but don’t know where to begin. The church sometimes make religion the start of following. But there are people who want to start following Jesus before they start going to church or without thinking about religion. How do we cooperate or serve that?The response to follow Jesus is a lot like going fishing. One new follower suggests that there are others nearby. Sinners hang out with sinners. Unfortunately, Christians avoid hanging out with sinners. Doctors can’t heal from a distance. They have to get close. Doctors have chosen to spend their career with sick people. This applies to different castes, cultures, etc. So we have to get close also. Sinners are everywhere. We need to reach out to them. Jesus was a friend of sinners. He was accused of being that! We can learn from that. We have to find ways of not losing connections with non-believers or new believers. How might God use us in a world of sinning people? How might he use us in the sinners He has brought into our individual lives? Presented in English and Swahili.

Of all the people Jesus could have chosen to be one of his disciples, He chose Levi (Matthew) a despicable outcast no rabbi would put on his team. As a tax collector for the Roman government, Levi was considered an untrustworthy traitor, yet Jesus gave him the opportunity of a lifetime to follow him. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Follow Me”? And how are we supposed to follow Jesus the way He desires? And if fully devoted followers are disciples, then how we are to become disciples that disciple others? Be encouraged to fully follow Jesus and experience the abundant life He offers you even if others don’t think you measure up.

The Lord Jesus Christ saw in the flawed life of Levi (Matthew the tax collector) someone He could make into someone beautiful, and become—A trophy of God’s GRACE Jesus chose YOU--and intends to finish what He started—He’s making you into a masterpiece—A TROPHY OF HIS GRACE.

Jesus calls an unlikely person to be His disciple. Levi (Matthew) is a tax collector. Tax collectors were thought to be the most wicked, vile, and hated people in Israel. Yet Jesus extends the call to this sinner. The call is to follow Jesus and Levi leaves all to do so. This is the same call made to us today.

Jesus scandalizes his religious contemporaries by accepting an invitation to dine with Levi, a known tax collector (one who purchased the right to ” collect” – read “overcharge” – the taxes of their fellow Jews). The occasion reveals a fundamental clash of values, in which Jesus declares that God has come to rescue the “righteous” […]

In this sermon we examine Luke 5:27-32, where Luke recorded the call of Levi Matthew. Especially evident in this section is the manner in which the Lord Jesus Christ related to the outcasts of society.

In this sermon we examine Luke 5:27-32, where Luke recorded the call of Levi Matthew. Especially evident in this section is the manner in which the Lord Jesus Christ related to the outcasts of society.

The book of Luke records 10 times when Jesus sits at the table and eats with people. In this passage Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow Him. He came to redeem those who were lost and forsaken.

Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to be one of His disciples. At that time tax collectors were viewed as sell-outs to the Roman empire by proper Jews. When Levi was called, he joyfully threw a party in honor of Jesus and invited all his friends: other unacceptables from society.

The story of the calling of Levi (Matthew) provides a great example of God's calling, our appropriate response, and how Christ came for sinners.

Mark 2:13-17     Observations of Jesus’ Invitation . . .   ·         Reaching those far from Jesus involves drawing near to them and sharing the gospel.(v. 13) o   The best way to reach people for Christ is up close.  The testimony of a gospel-centered life amplifies gospel-centered conversations.   ·         Calling sinners to the hope of the gospel is not the exception in Scripture, but rather the expectation in Scripture.(v. 14-15) o   Jesus invites to the table the unlikely. (“If He invited Matthew maybe he will accept me.”)   ·         Attracting those far from Jesus happens when they see Christ at work in you. (v. 15) o   “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16   ·         Acknowledging spiritual sickness is necessary before you can experience spiritual healing.  (v. 16-17) o   To admit that you need a physician is to first realize that you are most certainly sick.  §  Regardless if you are entrenched in the pit of depravity or entangled in the heavy chains of legalism, you are in need of the gospel of grace.  (Luke 15:1-2, 11-32)   Questions for Discussion  . . . 1.      Think about the people God has placed within your reach (family, community, work, school, networks) What keeps you from drawing near to those who are far from Jesus and sharing the gospel?  2.      In what ways do you identify with Levi (Matthew), who was considered a sinner that was viewed by some as beyond reach?  Or in what ways, before you met Christ, could you identify with Matthew? 3.      What was so astonishing about Jesus approaching and asking Matthew to follow Him?  What message do you believe that sent to those who were the outcasts and unlikely who witnessed of heard about this?  What message does it speak to people today about Jesus’ invitation? 4.      Think about those whom you might consider to be viewed in the same way that the tax collectors were.  Be honest.  What is difficult, or the tension that seems to exist at times, about reaching out to them? 5.      If Jesus were walking our streets today, who would he go to or hang out with?  Would He be tolerant or full of conviction regarding sin?  How would He relate to them and what would He say?  What is there about you that attracts those far from Jesus to Christ in you? 6.      The Pharisees wanted to do the right thing in upholding the Law, but where did they go wrong?  In what ways could we be like the Pharisees?  7.      Moral therapeutic deism is believing you can be right with God by just obeying all the rules.  Discuss this statement:  “Moralistic therapeutic deism does not exempt, but rather exposes, your need for the gospel.” –Pastor Shawn   8.      What is your takeaway from today?

What happens when we change our minds from those things that we used to hold as strong conviction? For example, Crest Toothpaste WAS the best...until we tried Colgate with flavor crystals! Jif Peanut Butter WAS the bomb until we tried Peter Pan with honey! As silly as these examples are, there are things that have MUCH BIGGER and MUCH LARGER life ramifications. At the end of Luke 5, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow Him and attends a party filled with Levi's friends. ALL of his friends happen to be MAJOR sinners in the eyes of the religious leaders. The leaders are offended by Jesus, but then Jesus speaks, and what He says changes everything about the strong conviction the church has towards sinners! This Sunday we will discuss the change Jesus made and how it affects us today and what it means for our Christian lives everyday!

What happens when we change our minds from those things that we used to hold as strong conviction? For example, Crest Toothpaste WAS the best...until we tried Colgate with flavor crystals! Jif Peanut Butter WAS the bomb until we tried Peter Pan with honey! As silly as these examples are, there are things that have MUCH BIGGER and MUCH LARGER life ramifications. At the end of Luke 5, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow Him and attends a party filled with Levi's friends. ALL of his friends happen to be MAJOR sinners in the eyes of the religious leaders. The leaders are offended by Jesus, but then Jesus speaks, and what He says changes everything about the strong conviction the church has towards sinners! This Sunday we will discuss the change Jesus made and how it affects us today and what it means for our Christian lives everyday!

Jesus called Levi (Matthew) from the place He finds him. He tells Levi to follow Him from where he is. Jesus never asks him to change and clean up first. The same is true for us. Jesus calls us from where we are…He never asks us to clean up our messes first. He tells us to come as we are. He does this for us and also for our friends to see. He uses us and our disfunction to reach those around us. These are opportunities for us to reach others. Where we have been called out of and redeemed, is where God uses us to touch others most powerfully.

The post Four Gospels – Part 30 – The Call of Levi/Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32) appeared first on The Inner Altar.

Luke 5:27-29 27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. 29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.   A Real Follower of Jesus Luke 5:27-29 February 9th, 2014   We can learn from Levi/Matthew’s example… Lesson 1: He followed with __  ______________ (Luke 5:28, 9:57-62; Matt 19:16-22). Lesson 2: He followed ______________________ (Luke 5:9-11; Acts 9:5). Lesson 3: (Part I) He followed __________________________ (Part II) and did it ________________ (Luke 5:29, 14:28-33; Mark 1:18; Phil 3:7-8; 1 Pet 1:8-9). Lesson 4: He wanted His ______________ to ____________ Jesus too (Luke 5:29; Psa 51:13). Lesson 5: Jesus is still calling people to ____________  ______ (1 Cor 1:26-29; 1 Tim 1:12-16).

In the call of Levi (Matthew), Jesus caps off a series of encounters with the outcasts of society and lets the grumbling Pharisees know that he did not come for those who think they are righteous but for sinners who know they need to repent.

The Healing of the Paralytic in Parallel-Mark 2:1-12 & Luke 5:17-26The Call of Levi (Matthew)-Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32; Matthew 9:9-13Jesus and the Sabbath-Mark 2:18-28; Luke 5:27-32; Matthew 9:14-17