Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, and Luke 5:27-32
Another day with three short readings, parallel accounts of three events from each of the three Synoptic gospels. And again, as with yesterday, in our readings two years ago each of these Synoptic gospels covered those three events together in one or two readings. We did not make the parallel “compare and contrast” readings like we are doing this year. In my own comments two years ago, the only gospel where I discussed Matthew’s call was Matthew’s gospel. See the link below.
Matthew is called “Matthew” in Matthew’s gospel and “Levi” in Mark’s and Luke’s. Since the name “Matthew” stuck, it’s possible that Jesus changed Levi’s name to Matthew just as He had changed Simon’s name to Peter.
And leaving everything, he rose and followed Him. (Luke 5:28) I’ve always wondered at Luke’s account of Levi “leaving everything”. What about the money that he had collected? Surely he didn’t just leave the money on the table for the crowd to fight over? What about the tax books? Wouldn’t he have passed those on to other tax collectors? Simple questions. My guess is that Luke’s report of Levi “leaving everything” is more an indication that he immediately quit his job and followed Jesus, but that he did what was right in leaving his position.
Luke is more specific than the others in his account that Levi made Him a great feast in his house… (v. 29a) So Levi must have been quite wealthy, possibly from the corruption associated with tax collectors. There is no indication that the Pharisees were invited to the feast – all three gospels only mention (many) tax collectors and sinners / others. If invited, they likely would have turned down the invitation, not wanting to become unclean by association with these sinners. They knew that they were “the righteous” that Jesus mentioned: I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32) But even as Jesus said that, they must have suspected that He was talking about them. I wonder at their reaction to that statement. I’ve always identified with the Pharisees (mostly the “good” Pharisees). I wonder how I would have reacted. Even today, how much, how often do I see myself as more “righteous” than sinful?
See also: February 19 / Matthew 9:1-17
I have been thinking about the quotation of Jesus that He came not to call the righteous. That struck me as shocking until I thought a bit more about it; I then realized that I was thinking about righteousness a lot like the Pharisees were.
It has to do with our perception of a “relative righteousness”. If righteousness could be measured on a 0 to 10 scale, where do I fit? And certainly God would love those on the upper end of that scale more than those on the lower end of that scale (tax collectors for example). But God loves all of us the same and I do not recall in Jesus’ teachings where he makes a distinction about relative righteousness or relative sin (i.e., some sins or sinners are worse than others).
Since no human was ever fully righteous (except Jesus), we are all sinners. And those who think of themselves as relatively righteous are still just sinners. Jesus came to save all of us including tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Pharisees. Relative righteousness (where we fit compared to others) is a human distinction that I don’t believe God cares about. He is trying to save all of us, and our personal righteousness is just a personal marker for how well we are doing in following Jesus’ purpose for our own lives.
Beautifully put, Lou. I always think of comparing our sin-situation to a broken window: whether there is a little crack in the corner or a baseball has smashed right through it, the window still needs to be replaced . . . It is broken, just like we are without Jesus.
How quick we are to identify ourselves as “the righteous”! I certainly do that, just as the Pharisees did. Of course, I already know this story, that Jesus is “the good guy” and the Pharisees are “the bad guys,” so I cheer for “the good guys” and look down on “the bad guys.” I readily put myself into the scene as one of those eating and drinking with Jesus — I couldn’t possibly be one of those nasty Pharisees! And in that subconscious identification with “the good guys” I subtly confirm my tendency toward self-righteousness and find that I am actually one of “the bad guys”…!
The irony in Christ’s words, of course, is that none are truly righteous except Christ alone, so when we think we are “the righteous” we miss Christ’s call — the call to repentance, to follow Him, to be with Him.