Luke 5:27 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus sees Levi the tax collector sitting at his tax booth and calls him: Follow me.
What Does Luke 5:27 Mean?
Leaving the house, Jesus deliberately looks at a man everyone else looked away from: Levi — also called Matthew (Matthew 9:9) — sitting at the customs booth. Publicans gathered tolls for the occupying power and were despised as collaborators and profiteers, classed with 'sinners' in the common speech. To this man Jesus speaks two words: 'Follow me.'
The call goes to the most unlikely desk in town. Jesus does not wait for Levi to reform, apply, or prove himself; the call itself carries the power to create a new life. Where the town saw a traitor at a toll table, Christ saw a disciple — and, in time, a witness to his gospel. No occupation, reputation, or history places anyone beyond those two words.
Luke 5:27 in the Original Language
telones (τελώνης), 'publican' -- a collector of tolls and taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 5:27
What does Luke 5:27 mean?
Jesus sees Levi the tax collector sitting at his tax booth and calls him: Follow me.