He eats with sinners

27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.

Luke 5:29–30 NASB95

29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

Luke 5:31–32 NASB95

31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:33–34 NASB95

Luke 5:35–36 NASB95

35 “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

Luke 5:37–38 NASB95

37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

Luke 5:39 NASB95

39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ”

Do you notice any major points in this passage? Anything in particular stick out to you?

Jesus in Capernaum notices Levi and tells him what (v.27)? What was the response (v.28)?

Follow Me! - two words changed his life forever, will expound more on this later

He left everything and followed Him.

Who was present at the “big reception” in (vv.29-30)?

Levi, Jesus, tax collectors, others, Pharisees, scribes and His disciples

What is Jesus purpose according to (v.32)?

To call sinners to repentance

What point are “they” making to Jesus (v.33)?

John’s disciples, our disciples all fast and offer prayers, but yours eat and drink

Jesus makes two points in (v.35), what are they?

Bridegroom is taken away

They will fast in those days

Jesus speaks then in a parable using what as the illustration (v.36)?

New garment and old garment

He uses wineskins in (v.37); and makes a statement in (v.38), what is that?

New wine must be in fresh (new) wineskins.

Jesus says “no one” (v.39); no one does what?

wishes for new; they are saying the old is good enough.

Follow me - Call of Levi (Matthew)

Luke 5:27–28 HCSB

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.

In the calling of Matthew Jesus accomplishes three things

Saves a lost soul

Makes a new disciple adding to the numbers

Creates opportunity to share the gospel with other sinners and the Pharisee and scribes too

Tax collectors were despised for they were traitors and extortioners.

They made their money above the tax money they were to collect

Interesting fact; A tax collector bid against others for the tax-collecting contract. The Romans awarded the contract to the highest bidder. The man collected taxes, paid the Romans what he promised, and kept the remainder.

Jesus loved those the world despised, calling Levi (Matthew) is an example of that.

How did Levi know Jesus, well there is archaeological evidence that fish out of the Sea of Galilee were taxed; so a tax collector there is spot on. Jesus preached in the area so likelihood was good.

Upon the call to “Follow Me” Matthew obeys immediately and “left all.”

Morris: “This must have meant a considerable sacrifice, for tax collectors were normally wealthy. Matthew must have been the richest of the apostles.”

He eats with sinners

Luke 5:29–30 HCSB

29 Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Luke 5:31–32 HCSB

31 Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Matthew was so overjoyed by his salvation, call to follow, that he wanted to invite all his friends.

Matthew was not sad that he “left all,” he was overjoyed and happy to give a party for Jesus.

Were you not overjoyed when you responded to the gospel? We want everyone to join us in heaven

The Pharisees did not understand Jesus message, method or ministry.

They could not understand how Jesus would associate with known sinners. He did not act like they acted, talk like they talked, go where they went. HE did not meet their “traditional” religious life.

We do not want to get so steeped in tradition that we miss what God is trying to do.

Jesus responds with the first of four illustrations to help the Pharisee understand.

The Physician (vv.31-32)

Jesus words were simple and profound. Simple truth, people who are not sick do not need a doctor

Profound in that Jesus is the Great Physician of the soul and it makes sense to be with those who need Him, sinners

Jesus is the perfect doctor who does not misdiagnose, and He can heal man of the sin problem. He is always available, and pays the debt personally.

The Pharisees saw themselves as righteous and not in any need. They thought their blood line (sons of Abraham) and their works (keeping the law) made them right

(Transition) Jesus does not stop there. That was one of the illustrations that He uses, hold on for the others.

New things, different things

Scripture below not on the screen, do not have time to read all of this, just here for reference purposes

Luke 5:33–39 NASB95

33 And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ”

The Bridegroom (vv.33-35)

The wedding feast, seven days of joy filled celebration. It was the greatest picture of joy and happiness in their culture.

Courson: “During the weeklong wedding feast, it was understood that joy was more important than conformity to religious rituals. If any ceremonial observance would detract from the joy of a wedding feast, it was not required. Jesus said that His followers should have this kind of happiness.”

Days of fasting will come when bridegroom is taken away. But today was not the day. It was a day of celebration and feasting.

This is a glimpse of the rejection of Jesus and His being taken away.

The new garment (v.36)

Luke 5:36 NKJV

36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.

Jesus did not come to patch up an old garment, he came to give a new garment.

They were looking for the Messiah to bring back the old to its glory, not for something new.

We need Jesus garments, A robe of righteousness (Isa61:10; 2Cor5:21) Not a righteousness of our own making, working, it is by no works of our own that we can be saved.

Wiersbe: “Many people have a ‘patchwork’ religion of their own making, instead of trusting Christ for the robe of salvation that he gives by grace through faith.”

New Wineskins

The new way, the new life of the Spirit cannot be forced into old wineskins, old ways. The old Jewish religion, standards are being replaced (consider Heb8:13)

Hebrews 8:13 NASB95

13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

The old ceremonial law was going to be fully fulfilled by Jesus, no longer will there be need for sacrifices, priests, temples and ceremonies (festivals).

Jesus offers all things new

Revelation 21:5 NASB95

5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

The old wineskins are replaced by new wineskins, old covenant by the new covenant, old way of works by faith in the works of Christ. Under Jesus, everything was going to be different than what they knew. Jesus was forming a new body, the church where Jews and Gentiles are one together.

Cooper: “Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old. This is what salvation is all about. In doing this, Jesus doesn’t destroy the old (the law), but He fulfills it, just as an acorn if fulfilled when it grows into an oak tree. There is a sense in which the acorn is gone, but its purpose is fulfilled in greatness.”

Jesus today still offers “all things new”.

As the Physician a new spiritual filled life where sins are forgiven

As the bridegroom, a life of new love and joy. where He gives a robe of righteousness and wine of the Spirit (Eph518; Act2:13)

Life is a feast not a famine or a funeral, and it is through Jesus we have and enjoy this life.