The Authority of Jesus to Transform Sinners

Mark 2:13-14

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.

And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. NKJV

Tax Collectors were considered to be the lowest of the low to the Jews.

The tax collectors were Jews who had betrayed their own people and allied themselves with the Romans
to extort money from the Jewish citizens.

They were considered to be liars, thieves, traitors, greedy, and only concerned about themselves.

They were even banned from the synagogues.
The people did not think that even God would want to associate

with a tax collector.

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and said in

Matthew 21:31-32

Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots
enter the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it,
you did not afterward relent and believe him. NKJV

Luke 18:9-14

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous,
and despised others:

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee
and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week;
I give tithes of all that I possess.'

13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,

'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

2

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself
will be exalted."
NKJV

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Here Mark calls this man Levi.
This tells us that most probably this man was of the tribe of Levi. This tells us his father was probably a Priest.

Levi was a PK --- Priest's Kid. He grew up in a religious home.

He became a Prodigal son.

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Notice the RESPONSE of Levi to the invitation of Jesus.

Mark 2:13-14

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.
And He said to him, "Follow Me."
So he arose and followed Him.

3

Of all of Jesus' Disciples, Levi had the most to lose.
The others could go back to their former lives at any time.
Not so with Levi.
Once Levi chose to follow Jesus -- He lost everything else in his life.

But notice what Jesus said in

Matthew 19:28-29

28 So Jesus said to them,
"Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me
will also sit on twelve thrones,

judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands,
for My name's sake,
shall receive a hundredfold,
and inherit eternal life.
NKJV

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Now listen to John as He describes the vision of Heaven or the City of the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:14
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were
the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. NKJV

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Mark 2:15-17
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house,
that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples;
for there were many,
and they followed Him.

Luke 5:29

29 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.
NKJV

Mark 2:16-17
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees
saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners,
they said to His disciples,
"How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners,
to repentance."
NKJV

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Mark 2:18-22
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him,

"Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

19 And Jesus said to them,
"Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

20 But the days will come
when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment;
or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled,

and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine
must be put into new wineskins." NKJV