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Luke

Luke 
Day 
Day 62

Luke 5:27-32 "FOLLOW ME..." Luke 5:27"

Day 62 – Luke 5

Text: Luke 5:27-32

“FOLLOW ME…” Luke 5:27

The ministry of Jesus had once again ended. It was time to be on the move once again. This was the itinerary of Jesus. He would go to a place and there proclaim the Kingdom of God. He would teach in either the synagogue or enter into a home that opened its doors to Him. Sometimes, He would minister to the multitudes in the open country.

From time to time, He would invite individuals to be His Disciples with these famous words,

“Follow Me.” Luke 5:27

He never explained fully what He really meant. Those who understood Him immediately left all and followed Him. Obviously, not everybody understood what He meant, nor how He selected people to become His Disciples.

THE CHOOSING OF A TAX COLLECTOR AS A DISCIPLE!

No Pharisee had been chosen to be a Disciple of Jesus! No “teacher of the Law” had become a Disciple of Jesus! Was it only because they were not invited? If they had been invited, would they have responded appropriately?

The Pharisees had balked at the words of Jesus when He spoke about forgiving the paralytic of his sins. They could not however debate His logic. He had not only uttered words of forgiveness, He had also healed the man of his paralysis! That kind of “logic” they could not contend with easily!

The more the Pharisees saw of the ministry of Jesus, the more they did not understand Him! (Yes, what could have been clearer)?

At the invitation of Jesus to be His disciple, Matthew (also called Levi), organized a large farewell party. Luke observed,

“Then Levi gave Him a GREAT FEAST in his own house.
And there were a great number of tax collectors and others
Who sat down with them.” Luke 5:29

Matthew had decided that he would take up the invitation of Jesus. He had understood Jesus. He saw that he must give up his way of life. He must have heard enough of Jesus, and saw enough of His miracles to decide that he wanted to be His Disciple!

He would bid farewell to all his tax-collector colleagues. He would say goodbye to all his friends. From here on, he would follow Jesus, as his new Master-Teacher. He had to make his decision public. The best way seemed to be to make a public declaration of his new-found faith in Jesus. From henceforth, he was a Disciple of Jesus. He would never go back to his old way of life! He had understood who Jesus really was! If anyone needed forgiveness of sins, he Matthew the tax-collector surely needed forgiveness! If he can be forgiven, and if he had a second chance in life, he would seize it with great eagerness. The “second chance” came. Matthew joyfully seized it. He was now a Disciple of Jesus! He was determined that he would not fail his new Master.

“WHY DO YOU EAT AND DRINK WITH TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS?” Luke 5:30

Once again, Jesus puzzled the crowds, especially the Scribes and the Pharisees (Luke 5:30). Jesus and His behaviour nonplused them!

He did not associate with the Scribes and Pharisees! He who was teaching the Scriptures with such power was not mixing with the right crowd! The experts of the law were the religious establishment. They held all the religious power in their hands. Yet, Jesus did not associate with them at all.

Instead, He was found at a great feast with well-known tax collectors and their cronies! What does one make out of a man like that? He also said the strangest things at times, such as forgiving people of their sins!

However, there was no denying the power that was His. He really had the power to heal! The paralysed were made to walk again. The lepers were fully healed! Many who had been healed would testify of the miracle that they received from the hand of Jesus!

The Scribes and Pharisees just could not understand Jesus! They had worked out their religious code of conduct. They had decided that they must set themselves apart from people like “tax-collectors and sinners” (Luke 5:30). Would not that be “logical”? What would “religious people” have in common with “sinful people”?

The Scribes and Pharisees never sought to understand Jesus at all. They could only grumble and complain against Him for behaving differently, and if they could, they would lump Him together with the sinners. He was probably no better!

“I HAVE NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS, TO REPENTANCE.” Luke 5:32

Once again, Jesus sought to help His audience understand Him. He had spoken about how He was anointed and sent to preach the Gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). He had also explained at another place, and on another occasion that He had been sent to proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43).

On this occasion, Jesus explained that His mission on earth was to call sinners to repentance. Matthew must have understood the gracious words of Jesus. Tax collectors were hated by just about everybody in Israel. Firstly, they were seen as collaborators of the Romans. Secondly, they were infamous for cheating people.

The promise of forgiveness was to be found in the message of Jesus. He had come to call people to repentance. If there was repentance, then surely there would also be forgiveness. One can only sin so much and no more. One cannot keep sinning without the heart becoming heavier and heavier because of the weight of sin. Is there forgiveness? Is there yet hope? Is there Someone calling? Is He calling people to be His disciples?

The truly repentant would respond with all his heart. He would forsake his sins, and embrace Jesus with all his heart! He would forgo all that he had, and cling to Jesus in this new opportunity to start a brand new life with Christ!

The Scribes and Pharisees MISSED all that! Have we missed the point too, when we see Jesus in the Gospels?