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

¹³ And he went out again by the seaside. All the crowd came to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴ And as he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.

¹⁵ It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

²⁷ After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me." ²⁸ He left everything, and rose up and followed him.

²⁹ Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. ³⁰ The Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

³¹ Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."