And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Parallel translations
- WEB After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”
- BSB After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,
- NKJV After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”
- NASB After that He went out and looked at a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”
- NLT Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus calls Levi, a despised tax collector, to follow him. He summons an outcast into discipleship by sovereign grace.
Overview
Tax collectors were scorned as collaborators and cheats, yet Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) with a simple 'Follow me!' The call demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of grace. By choosing such a man, Jesus enacts his mission to seek and save sinners and foreshadows the controversy over his table fellowship with the outcast.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Mark 2:13–22And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
- Matt 9:9–17And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
- Matt 10:3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
- Mark 3:18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
- John 1:43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
- Matt 4:19–21And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
- Luke 18:22Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
- Matt 8:22But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
- Matt 16:24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
- John 12:26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
- John 21:19–22This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 5:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.