A Sequel to the Call of Levi

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events of the passage: Levi's great feast prepared for Jesus, the diverse guest list including many publicans and 'sinners' (low-life individuals), and…

Describes the semi-prone position of eating in oriental culture to help the audience visualize the banquet scene in Levi's house, emphasizing the intimacy of the gathering.

Especially when we come to the closing words, would indicate that they were sinners in the former sense. That since the publicans had been cut off from the common social and religious life in Israel, they sought identification with someone, and it was only the low-life people who would be comfortable with the publicans, and with whom the publicans could have some bonds of social interaction. So picture the scene. Not sitting about a big banquet table as we do in our present social situation, but there are some six Greek words in the New Testament to describe this oriental fashion of eating.

13:33 - 14:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events of the passage: Levi's great feast prepared for Jesus, the diverse guest list including many publicans and 'sinners' (low-life individuals), and…

Illustrates the difference between an honest, seeking question and an accusatory, judgmental question, clarifying the Pharisees' intent.

words were said in an accusatory form because Luke tells us in Luke 5 30 that the Pharisees were murmuring when they asked the question of the disciples how is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners. Now you see why I used the term an accusatory question because there are two ways basically in which people can ask questions. Someone can come up to someone else and say excuse me sir. I'm sure there must be an explanation for what you're doing. Would you mind telling me what you're doing. You can tell me what you're doing. I'm sure there must be an explanation for what you're doin...

16:15 - 16:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the events of the passage: Levi's great feast prepared for Jesus, the diverse guest list including many publicans and 'sinners' (low-life individuals), and…

Explains that in Eastern cultures, eating together symbolizes friendship and identification, highlighting why the Pharisees were so offended by Jesus's actions.

How can you follow such a master? Look to him as an authoritative religious teacher and he has no more sense about what it is to be truly religious than to be found eating with the lowlifers, with the riffraff. For remember again, in eastern countries to eat

17:54 - 18:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Compares Jesus to a doctor who gets close to sick people to heal them, not to contract their sickness, illustrating the logic of his mission to sinners.

A self-evident fact based on common observation. None of you Pharisees is ever offended when you see a physician getting close enough to a sick man in order to diagnose his sickness and to prescribe and apply a remedy.

23:07 - 23:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine yourself to see if self-righteousness is preventing you from cordially receiving and joyfully proclaiming the Gospel.

Uses the metaphor of a fabric with holes to describe the Pharisee's self-righteousness, which they try to 'darn' with religious deeds, showing its inadequacy.

You think yourself to be something you're not. You think you have a righteousness that will commend you to God, a righteousness comprised of your good bloodlines, of your good breathing and training and knowledge and your religious deeds. Remember that Pharisee. He stood thus by himself and said, I thank You, God, I'm not one of the lowlifers.

34:45 - 35:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize your true sinful state before God, rather than boasting in your own righteousness.

Quotes John Calvin's commentary on this passage, explaining that the scribes sinned by misunderstanding Christ's mission and proudly looking down on others, reinforcing the sermon's point about self-righteousness.

Calvin, commenting on this very passage, wrote so perceptively, it is clear from Christ's answer that the scribes had sinned on two points. They had not taken account of Christ's mission. He came to save sinners. And though they spared their own vices, they proudly looked down upon all others. And we have to note that this has always been a widespread sickness. Hypocrites,

36:52 - 37:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Desire for the congregation to be a gathering of 'ex-lowlifers' rather than a 'nice, polite, lovely, middle-class suburbia.'

Quotes John Calvin again, emphasizing that Christ's mission was to revive the dead, justify the guilty, and cleanse the filthy, which should make us embrace even the 'dregs of humanity' without disgust.

Jesus didn't draw back. He reclined at meet with them. Calvin again saw this in his day as a wise pastor. In commenting on this he said, Though Christ starts with the words of rebuke, we who wish to advance in his teaching must give first place to what he put second.

46:54 - 47:22 Read in full sermon