Mark 2:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

NIV: As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

NASB: As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, 'Follow Me!' And he got up and followed Him.

CSB: Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, "Follow me," and he got up and followed him.

NLT: As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

KJV: And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

NKJV: As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

The tax collector is identified as "Levi son of Alphaeus." This is problematic because no roster of disciples includes a "Levi"—not even the list included in the next chapter (Mark 3:14–19). The roster does include "James the son of Alphaeus," but since the identical story given in Matthew 9:9–13 refers to a disciple named Matthew, it's widely believed that Matthew and Levi are the same, and James' father is given to distinguish him from James the brother of John and son of Zebedee.

The text doesn't mention that Levi has had any prior interactions with Jesus. Since he works near Capernaum, though, it's a good bet that he, like Andrew and Peter (John 1:35–42), at least knew of Him prior to this moment. This would explain his willingness to abandon his very lucrative post and follow Jesus.

As a Jewish tax collector, Levi has leased the right to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman ruler, most likely Herod Antipas. In the process, whatever extra he collects serves as his salary. In Capernaum, which sits on the border of Antipas and Philip's territories, tax collectors probably tax goods and their transit, including fish. It's possible that Levi knows Andrew, Peter, James, and John, and if so, it's likely the four fishermen don't think highly of him. They do respect Jesus, however, and no mention of dissent is recorded.

The Pharisees, legalistic religious leaders, are harsh on those who do not follow the extra rules they added to the Mosaic Law, but they are particularly derisive of Jewish tax-collectors. Tax collectors are not allowed to be judges or witnesses in court cases, and they are excommunicated from the synagogue. If Jesus had limited His teaching to religious environs, Matthew would not have heard Him teach, and we would not have his gospel.

Mark 2:13–17 presents the second of five stories, found in the gospel of Mark, wherein Jesus asserts His authority. Here, He takes on the belief that sinners are not worth saving. The fifth man Jesus calls to be a disciple is Levi the tax collector. At the time, Jews assumed most such men were swindlers, using their traitorous service for the Roman occupiers to also steal from fellow Israelites. To make the situation even more controversial, Jesus goes home with Levi and has a meal with him and other ''sinners.'' The scribes, who work so hard making sure the good people follow more laws than God gave them, have no interest in turning sinful hearts to God. In fact, they seriously doubt it can be done. This account is also found in Matthew 9:9–13 and Luke 5:27–32.

Mark chapter 2 follows the typical style of Mark's gospel with a rapid succession of stories. Jesus heals a man who cannot walk, but only after declaring the man's sins to have been forgiven. Jesus then calls Levi, one of the publically-reviled tax collectors, as a disciple and is seen eating with those the Pharisees view as ''sinners.'' Jesus then answers a challenge about fasting and defends His disciples when they violate the Pharisees' views on keeping the Sabbath. All of these events are met with some resistance from Jesus' critics. He responds in each case with a spiritual, reasonable defense.

In Mark chapter 1, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist then led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where He was tempted by Satan. He also taught and healed in Capernaum and throughout Galilee. In chapter 2, having returned to Capernaum, Jesus displays authority over four particular areas: the forgiveness of sins, social traditions, extra-biblical religious traditions, and the Sabbath. In response, the Pharisees—legalistic religious leaders—escalate their antagonism toward Him, culminating in a direct condemnation of His teachings. This sets the scene for Mark 3:6 when the religious and national leadership first get the idea to destroy Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.