Mark 2:13-17 - Levi Called To Follow Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus went again to the seaside, and the whole crowd kept coming to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴ As he was passing by he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office; and he said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed him.

¹⁵ Later on Levi was sitting at table in his house, and together with Jesus and his disciples a number of tax-gatherers and sinners were guests, for there were many of them who used to follow him. ¹⁶ But when some scribes of the Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they said to his disciples, "Is he eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?"

¹⁷ On hearing this Jesus said to them. "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

²⁷ After this he went forth and noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, "Follow me." ²⁸ He rose, left everything, and followed him.

²⁹ Levi also made him a great reception at his house. There was a large party of tax-gatherers and others who were dining with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes began complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why are you eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?"

³¹ Jesus answered them saying. "They who are well have no need of a physician, but they who are ill. ³² I am not come to call the righteous but sinners, to repentance."