Luke 5:27 Meaning Explained

Luke 5:27

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.”

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus "beheld" Levi, not just saw him; this implies a deliberate, compassionate gaze that saw beyond his despised profession. This wasn't a casual encounter but a deliberate choice by Jesus to seek out someone considered an outcast, seeing his potential for something far greater.

What Luke 5:27 means

Jesus has just healed a man with leprosy, demonstrating His authority and power over disease. Immediately after this powerful encounter, Jesus moves on and observes a tax collector, known by the name Levi, diligently working at his despised post. With a simple yet profound command, "Follow me," Jesus invites Levi to leave his lucrative, but socially shunned, profession and become one of His closest disciples.

Jesus Sees Beyond the Occupation

Jesus wasn't just looking for anyone; he was looking for Levi. But Levi wasn't just any person – he was a tax collector. What does this tell us about how Jesus sees people?

More Than a Job Title

When Jesus looked at Levi, he didn't just see a tax collector – a profession widely despised by the Jewish people. Tax collectors were often seen as collaborators with the Roman oppressors, greedy, and unclean. They were social outcasts.

But Jesus saw Levi. He saw a person with potential, a person God could use. The Greek word used here, 'etheasatō,' means 'to behold' or 'to observe attentively.' Jesus looked closely, not just at Levi's job, but at Levi himself.

This is a powerful reminder: Jesus's gaze isn't limited by our past mistakes, our social standing, or even how others perceive us. He sees our true identity and our potential for his kingdom.

The Unmistakable Call to Discipleship

Jesus’s words to Levi were short and direct: “Follow me.” It sounds simple, but this command would completely upend Levi's life. What makes this call so powerful?

A Call to Transformation

Jesus's command, 'Follow me,' wasn't just an invitation to become a student; it was a summons to a radical new life. For Levi, this meant abandoning his lucrative, yet socially ostracized, profession.

This call was total. It wasn't about adding Jesus to his existing life, but about making Jesus the center of everything. It required leaving behind security, reputation, and a way of life he knew.

The significance of this call is amplified because Levi was a tax collector. His immediate obedience, as seen in the following verses where he hosts a banquet for Jesus and his friends, shows the immense power of Jesus's authority and the compelling nature of His presence.

Understand the original words

Original language

tax collectorτελώνης

telōnēs · Greek Noun

An official agent of a foreign government (in this case, Rome) empowered to collect taxes; often viewed by fellow Israelites as traitors and extortioners, rendering them socially and religiously ostracized.

Follow meἀκολουθέω

akoloutheō · Greek Verb

A call to discipleship that requires personal presence, imitation of life, and total commitment. It signifies a radical shift in loyalty from one's own agenda to the leadership and authority of Jesus.

Historical context

Written: Likely written in the mid-50s to early 60s AD, before the destruction of Jerusalem.
Author: The Gospel of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke the Evangelist, a companion of the Apostle Paul. There is scholarly debate about the precise authorship, but traditional attribution remains strong.
Location: Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee, which served as a base for Jesus' ministry in the region.
Genre: Gospel narrative with a focus on historical detail and theological reflection. It features a literary device known as 'priority of Matthew' by some scholars, indicating its dependence on other accounts.

Historical background

Early 1st century AD
Roman occupation of Judea
Judea was under Roman rule, which necessitated a system of taxation. Tax collectors, often Jews, worked for the Romans, collecting taxes and customs.
Early 1st century AD
Herod Antipas governs Galilee
Galilee, where this event takes place, was governed by Herod Antipas, a Roman client king. Tax collectors in this region likely served him.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Tax collectors' disrepute
Tax collectors (publicans) were widely despised by Jewish society due to their association with the Roman oppressors and their often corrupt practices.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus calls Levi (Matthew)
Jesus, while ministering in Galilee, encounters Levi, a tax collector, and calls him to be one of his disciples with a simple, direct "Follow me."
Early 1st century AD
Levi's celebratory feast

Key themes

01Jesus's radical inclusion
02The call of unlikely disciples
03Divine initiative in salvation

Cross-references

Matthew 9:9

This passage directly parallels Levi's call, with Matthew's Gospel identifying the same individual and recounting Jesus' transformative invitation to 'Follow me.'

Mark 2:14

Mark's Gospel also records Jesus seeing Levi (calling him by that name initially) at his tax booth and issuing the command to 'Follow me,' highlighting the immediacy and impact of Jesus' call.

Isaiah 6:8

This prophetic passage shows Isaiah's willing response to God's call ('Here am I; send me'), mirroring Levi's immediate abandonment of his lucrative post to follow Jesus.

1 Samuel 15:22

Samuel's declaration that 'To obey is better than sacrifice' resonates with Jesus calling someone from a position of perceived sacrifice (to society) to a higher calling of obedience and discipleship.

John 1:43

The immediate 'Follow me' extended to Philip by Jesus, and Philip's subsequent act of finding Nathanael, demonstrates a pattern of Jesus calling individuals and then using them to draw others into His fellowship.

Scholarly commentary

Luke 5:27: "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."

Levi - See on Matthew 9:9 (note); Mark 2:14 (note).
clarke

Luke 5:27: "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."

27–39. The Call and Feast of Levi. On Fasting. The New and the Old 27 . and saw ] Rather, He observed . named Levi ] It may be regarded as certain that Levi is the same person as the Evangelist St Matthew. The name Matthew (probably a corruption of Mattihijah) means, like Nathanael, Theodore, Doritheus, Adeodatus, &c., ‘the gift of God,’ and it se…
cambridge

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What Luke 5:27 means

Original language

tax collectorτελώνης

telōnēs · Greek Noun

Follow meἀκολουθέω

akoloutheō · Greek Verb

Historical context

Written: Likely written in the mid-50s to early 60s AD, before the destruction of Jerusalem.
Author: The Gospel of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke the Evangelist, a companion of the Apostle Paul. There is scholarly debate about the precise authorship, but traditional attribution remains strong.
Location: Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee, which served as a base for Jesus' ministry in the region.
Genre: Gospel narrative with a focus on historical detail and theological reflection. It features a literary device known as 'priority of Matthew' by some scholars, indicating its dependence on other accounts.

Historical background

Early 1st century AD

Roman occupation of Judea

Judea was under Roman rule, which necessitated a system of taxation. Tax collectors, often Jews, worked for the Romans, collecting taxes and customs.

Early 1st century AD

Herod Antipas governs Galilee

Galilee, where this event takes place, was governed by Herod Antipas, a Roman client king. Tax collectors in this region likely served him.

Early 1st century AD— this verse

Tax collectors' disrepute

Tax collectors (publicans) were widely despised by Jewish society due to their association with the Roman oppressors and their often corrupt practices.

Early 1st century AD

Jesus calls Levi (Matthew)

Jesus, while ministering in Galilee, encounters Levi, a tax collector, and calls him to be one of his disciples with a simple, direct "Follow me."

Early 1st century AD

Levi's celebratory feast

Scholarly commentary

Luke 5:27: "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."

Levi - See on Matthew 9:9 (note); Mark 2:14 (note).
clarke

Luke 5:27: "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."

27–39. The Call and Feast of Levi. On Fasting. The New and the Old 27 . and saw ] Rather, He observed . named Levi ] It may be regarded as certain that Levi is the same person as the Evangelist St Matthew. The name Matthew (probably a corruption of Mattihijah) means, like Nathanael, Theodore, Doritheus, Adeodatus, &c., ‘the gift of God,’ and it se…
cambridge

Frequently asked questions

What does Luke 5:27 mean?

Explain the meaning of Luke 5:27

What is the context of Luke 5:27?

Ask Sola about this verse

Ask Sola things like:

“What does "tax collector" mean in the original Greek?”
“Why did The Gospel of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke the Evangelist, a companion of the Apostle Paul. There is scholarly debate about the precise authorship, but traditional attribution remains strong. write Luke 5:27?”
“How does jesus's radical inclusion show up in Luke 5:27?”

Ask in the Sola app Get the app

Live chat about Luke 5:27 is available in the Sola app.