Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. (Luke 5:29)
A bit of background for the broken at this banquet will prove profitable. The tax collectors in ancient Israel were hated and despised because they were Jews who hired themselves out to work for the Roman government. It was bad enough for the Israelites to pay taxes to Rome. It was the worst of all conditions to be paying it through their own countrymen.
Now these tax collectors were not paid an actual wage by the Roman government. They were given a contract to pay a certain amount of money to Rome and then they could collect extra money to take care of themselves. The problem was many were totally dishonest and abused this system by gouging their own people to line their pockets. They were both rich and reviled by their Jewish brothers and sisters.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law said to the disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-31). You see, Levi was a despised tax collector that Jesus invited into relationship. Levi left a lucrative business to follow Jesus. But that’s not all. He then held a banquet for his fellow tax collectors and ‘sinners’ and Jesus was the honored guest. This is a powerful picture of the good news of the gospel. To eat with someone in the ancient world was an act of friendship, fellowship, and intimate communion.
In this story, there are only two kinds of people – sinners who acknowledge their sin and look to the Savior (tax collectors), and sinners who refuse to acknowledge their sin and look to themselves for salvation (Pharisees and teachers of the law). Only when we acknowledge our own brokenness and look to Jesus to make us whole do we find ourselves with a place at His banquet table. We are broken-yet-beloved as the bride of Christ. And when that truth seized Levi, also named Matthew who authored the Gospel of Matthew, he became an instrument of gospel grace for the glory of Jesus.
Levi was so impacted by the love of Jesus he held a banquet for other broken people to meet with and be mended by his new Master. Levi went from serving riches to serving his Redeemer. May this be the confession of our lives?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 