The calling of Levi
Matthew 9:9 KJV
And as Jesus passed forth from thence,
he saw a man, named Matthew,
sitting at the receipt of custom:
and he saith unto him, Follow me.
And he arose, and followed him.
Other translations
Berean Study Bible
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus passing on from there saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth. And He says to him, “Follow Me.” And having arisen, he followed Him.
New King James Version
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
New American Standard Bible
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
Study
As Jesus passed forth from thence.
All three Gospels agree, as has been noticed, in the sequence of the two events.
And the sequence was probably, in part at least, one of cause and effect.
The sympathy and power shown in healing the paralytic impressed itself on the mind of one who, as a publican, felt that he too had sins that needed to be forgiven.
A man, named Matthew, Mark and Luke give the name as Levi, the former adds that he was the “son of Alphæus.”
The difference may be explained by assuming that in his case, as in that of “Simon who is called (or named) Peter” (Matthew 10:2), a new name was given that practically superseded the old.
The meaning of Matthew, which means “the gift of God,” or, more strictly, “the gift of YHWH”, makes a change of this kind in itself probable.
If he were the son of Alphæus, he would be (assuming identity of person and of name) the brother of the James whose name appears with his own in the second group of four in the lists of the Twelve Apostles.
Sitting at the receipt of custom.
Literally, at the custom-house, the douane of the lake. The customs levied there were probably of the nature of an octroi on the fish, fruit, and other produce that made up the exports and imports of Capernaum.
Sitting
The people of this country sit, at all kinds of work.
- The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze sitting upon the ground, or upon the plank he is planing.
- The washer-woman sits by the tub, and,
- in a word, no one stands where it is possible to sit.
- Shopkeepers always sit;
- and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom is the exact way to state the case.
Receipt of custom
Some articles of produce are taxed as they are brought into the town.
A booth of branches, or a more substantial hut, is erected at every entrance into the city or village, and there, both day and night, sits a man at the “receipt of custom.”
He taxes all the produce, piercing with a long, sharp iron rod the large camel-bags of wheat or cotton, in order to discover concealed copper-wire, or other contraband.
And he saith unto him, Follow me.
Mark (Mark 2:13) makes the call follow close upon an unrecorded discourse addressed to the whole multitude of Capernaum.
In the nature of the case it was probable that there had been, as in the analogous call of the sons of Jona and Zebedee, a preparation of some kind.
A brother had been converted, his own heart had been touched, he had felt (see Matthew 4:13) the presence of the new Teacher as light in the shadow of death.
Follow Me
The call
- It was a call of sovereignty. There was no miracle; the attraction of personal authority.
- It was a call of grace. What was there in St. Matthew to recommend him?
- It was a call of love (1 John 3:1).
He arose, and followed him
Luke adds, “he left all.” There was not much to leave his desk at the custom, his stipend or his percentage; but it was his all, and no man can leave more than that.
The answer
- It was an answer of faith. He followed because he believed — had trust — in Christ.
- It was an answer of decision.
- It was an answer of self-sacrifice.
Devotional
Follow Me
It is but a brief command that the Lord Jesus gives.
He doesn’t negotiate with Levi.
He simply commands: follow Me.
And following means:
- Recognize Him as Teacher,
- Let him go ahead and leave everything behind.
- Not for a while, but for good.
Who does that?
Well, Levi does!
And he, rising, followed Him
Because he is so willing?
No, because the Word of Jesus is so mighty.
Levi doesn’t have to think twice.
Suddenly he is no longer interested in his tax papers.
He just doesn’t care anymore.
He got his eye on Jesus. He got up and followed Him.
Matthew – after all, he is that Levi! – does not need many words to tell his own conversion.
He spoke and I heard. That’s all.
A disobedient man who listened, and responded to the Word…
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