How Does Jesus Interaction With Levi Challenge Our Understanding Of Who Is Worthy Of Gods Grace?
Jesus and Levi: Rethinking Worthiness and Grace
Few encounters in the Gospels are as surprising and transformative as Jesus' call of Levi (also known as Matthew), the tax collector. This moment, recorded in Mark 2:13-17 ASV, Matthew 9:9-13 ASV, and Luke 5:27-32 ASV, challenges deeply held assumptions about who is worthy of God's grace. Let us explore this passage, its context, and its enduring message for believers today.
The Calling of Levi: A Scandalous Choice
Tax collectors in first-century Judea were despised. They were seen as traitors, collaborating with Roman oppressors and often extorting their fellow Jews. To many, Levi would have epitomized moral and spiritual unworthiness. Yet, Jesus' interaction with Levi is radical:
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. - Mark 2:14 ASV
Jesus did not ask Levi to clean up his life first, nor did He question him about his past. He simply extended an invitation—"Follow me"—demonstrating that God's call is not based on human standards of worthiness.
Grace Extended to the Outcast
Levi's response is immediate and total. He leaves his lucrative post and hosts a banquet for Jesus, inviting many other tax collectors and sinners. This act causes scandal among the religious leaders:
And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners. - Mark 2:16 ASV
For the Pharisees, table fellowship signified acceptance and intimacy. Jesus' willingness to join these outcasts asserts that grace is not reserved for the "righteous" but is offered freely to all, regardless of their past.
Jesus’ Mission: Calling Sinners, Not the Righteous
Jesus responds to the criticism with a powerful declaration of His mission:
And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. - Mark 2:17 ASV
This statement encapsulates the heart of the gospel—God’s grace is for those who know they need it. Salvation is not a reward for the morally upright, but a gift for the repentant sinner:
For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. - Ephesians 2:8-9 ASV
Levi’s story is a living illustration of this truth.
Who Is Worthy of Grace?
Scripture consistently teaches that no one is truly worthy of God’s grace. All have sinned and fall short (Romans 3:23 ASV). Jesus’ call to Levi turns the question of "worthiness" on its head. The gospel is not about human merit but about divine mercy:
But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8 ASV
The kingdom of God is open to all who respond in faith, regardless of their background or reputation.
Personal Application: Embracing and Extending Grace
Levi’s transformation from outcast to apostle demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. For believers today, Jesus' example challenges us to:
- Reject self-righteousness and remember our own need for grace (Luke 18:9-14 ASV)
- Welcome and extend grace to those whom society may label as "unworthy"
- Trust in Christ’s sufficiency, not our own merit, for salvation
The story of Levi reminds us that God delights in redeeming the unlikely and transforming lives by His unmerited favor.
Conclusion
Jesus' interaction with Levi challenges every notion of earning or deserving God’s grace. It invites us to marvel at the breadth of God’s mercy and to extend that same mercy to others, following the example of Christ who came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10 ASV).