Luke 5:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

NIV: and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

NASB: And he left everything behind, and got up and began following Him.

CSB: So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.

NLT: So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

KJV: And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

NKJV: So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

Levi the tax collector has been called by Jesus. Levi's job is to take money from the people in his city and give it to the Romans. If he can, he is free to take more money for himself. Not all tax collectors were brazenly corrupt, but many were. From the Israelite mindset, Levi was helping the Romans pay for their occupation with the money of their victims, while stealing from his countrymen for his own salary.

But when Jesus calls him, Levi responds with no hesitation. John the Baptist has already given tax collectors a path for reconciliation, saying, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do" (Luke 3:13). He didn't tell them their job was sinful; he told them to do their job in a non-sinful way.

Later, the chief tax collector Zacchaeus will not only repent, but he'll also give restitution as demanded in the Mosaic law (Exodus 22:1; Luke 19:1–9). He comes to value forgiveness and a right relationship with God more than worldly treasure. The rich ruler, however, hopes that being nice to other people will hide the fact he loves his money more than God (Luke 18:18–24).

We don't know if Levi was in the habit of extorting his fellow men, or if he restored anything taken unfairly. What we do know is that he leaves everything for Jesus. He then invites his friends—tax collectors and sinners—to eat with Jesus. In a similar way to how the healed paralytic praised God and inspired others to join him (Luke 5:25–26), Levi's repentance invites the repentance of others (Luke 5:31–32).

Luke 5:27–28 describes the second time Jesus calls a disciple. As with the fishermen, Jesus calls Levi at work. The choice is controversial, since tax-collectors were deeply despised. These were typically Israelites who worked for the occupying Romans. The nature of the job lent itself to corruption, so tax collectors often cheated to their own advantage. Jesus dives deeper into controversy by eating with Levi and other "sinners" and rejecting the traditional religious fasts (Luke 5:29–39). Jesus' calls identify His followers (Luke 5:1–11; 6:12–16). His controversies identify His enemies (Luke 5:17–26, 5:29—6:11). Matthew 9:9 identifies Levi as Matthew; Mark 2:13–14 describes him as the son of Alphaeus.

Luke 5 continues Jesus' Galilean Ministry (Luke 4:14—9:50). The passage alternates calls to discipleship with miracles and teachings which demonstrate what discipleship entails. Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, and their business partners, James and John, to follow Him and make more disciples. Then Jesus makes a man with leprosy ceremonially clean. He forgives the sins of a paralytic. After He calls Levi to follow Him, Jesus celebrates instead of fasting. This draws critical questions from the crowd. The religious leaders consider Jesus' actions blasphemous. His message of forgiveness, faith, and repentance cannot be contained by their tradition.

Jesus has already proved He can expel demons, heal ailments, and reveal the kingdom of God (Luke 4:31–44). In this chapter, He begins to separate His followers from His detractors. This begins with calling the first five disciples and emphasizing faith and repentance over religious tradition. He will drive home the point by treating the Sabbath as a blessing rather than a burden (Luke 6:1–11). After formally inviting the Twelve to follow Him, Jesus will explain to a crowd what discipleship looks like and invite them to build their lives on Him (Luke 6:12–49). In chapter 7, Jesus champions Gentiles and the marginalized.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.