February 1 – Luke 5:27-32
Main Focus: Jesus Eats with Sinners
In this part of Luke’s narrative we see that Jesus calls Levi to follow Him. Jesus brings forgiveness to a despised tax collector. In Palestine, tax collectors were representatives of the Roman governing authorities. Their tendency to resort to extortion made them despised and hated by their own people. Christians should not merely do the same as unbelievers; their transformed lives should result in behavior that shows significantly greater love.
Jesus says to Levi “Follow me”. It is an invitation to a total commitment to Christ. Levi responded by leaving everything and he began to follow Jesus. Levi throws a dinner party, invites many of his colleagues including Jesus. The religious leaders viewed Jesus’ presence problematic and questioned him “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”Such table fellowship implies welcoming these people into extended interpersonal association, which the Pharisees thought would make a person “unclean.” But just as Jesus would cleanse the leper rather than being made unclean by the leper (see v.13), so Jesus will bring sinners to repentance and forgiveness rather than being defiled by association with the sinners
Jesus answered the Pharisees and scribes that “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Jesus likens those who are well to those who are righteous, and those who are sick to sinners; Jesus’ opponents must judge for themselves which ones they are. On account of their lack of mercy, they are in fact “sick” and sinners. Jesus’ offer of salvation to sinners threatens the Pharisees’ way of life, yet it is at the heart of the gospel he came announcing life through repentance.
It’s worth noting that as broken people of the church, we may find ourselves judging with the Pharisees, looking upon others who enter the church and we think, “What is that person doing here?” Or maybe we think, “Well, it’s a good thing that they are here, but please don’t let them come to my community group.” When we look at this passage, we are faced with some of our own ugliness and are yet again reminded that Jesus is for the broken, and that includes us “church-folk.”
Discussion questions
Read Luke 5:27-32
– What surprised you the most about this story (Jesus’ words, the leaders’ reaction, the friends’ actions, etc), and why? What questions do you have from this story?
– Most of us came to faith in Jesus while still having a lot of unanswered questions about Christianity. From your own experience of coming to faith, what was so compelling about Jesus that led you to faith even without all the “evidence” in place?
– How does Levi and his calling differ from the earlier disciples and their callings (see Luke 5:1-11)? What similarity is there? What does that teach us about Jesus? About us?
– Jesus chose to spend his time with sinners and outcasts because “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 31). Often, our attention can be so focused inward, among other Christians, that we forget about the very people Christ came to be with. Our society is filled with “tax collectors and sinners.” Who is this in our city? Is your life too insulated by other Christians? What changes might you make to create an intentional space to be around more people who are distant from Christ?
– Jesus’ feasting with sinners does not mean he approved of their sin. He was with them, but not of them, just as we are “in the world but not of the world.” Are there any particular areas of your life where being around particular sins or environments causes you to be tempted toward those sins?