One of the most remarkable things about Jesus' life on earth was that he entrusted his teachings and his church to a group of twelve men. They were not particularly intelligent, well educated, or wise. They seemed to be ordinary people---many of them common fishermen, and most of them, like Jesus, from Galilee.

What Jesus offered them was to "fish for people." Of course, that's a catchy phrase to use with fishermen, but what does it really mean? It's often interpreted as a call to evangelism, which it certainly is, but it means more. As Bible commentator Frederick Bruner puts it, Jesus addresses their deepest ambition: "Do you want to make something useful of your life, to have a life that is catching? I will give this to you" (The Christbook, Eerdmans 1987, p. 127). And what an influence they would have!

While fishermen were common folk, Jesus' choice of Levi (also known as Matthew, later the writer of the gospel) stretched the boundaries in another direction. Obviously, tax collectors were not considered good disciple material. Since it would not be a good idea for the occupying Roman army to strong-arm taxes from people, the Romans wisely set up a system in which willing and compliant Jews collected taxes for them. The incentive was that they got to keep a percentage for themselves. They were despised, of course, not just for collecting taxes, but for being collaborators with the hated Romans.

You can see why the Pharisees were upset by Jesus' attendance at Levi's dinner party, where Jesus was the guest of honor. To Pharisees, Romans (and all Gentiles) were "unclean," and they refused to have anything to do with them. The Jews who worked with the Romans, like tax collectors, were seen as unclean sinners too. As officially "unclean" persons, tax collectors were forbidden from participating in any formal Jewish faith practices, such as temple worship. And you certainly could not eat with them, since table fellowship would bring physical contact and implied acceptance.

While the Pharisees often appear to be the "bad guys" in the gospels, it's important to understand that their tensions with Jesus came more from the fact that Jesus' teaching was closest to theirs. At least they were serious about their faith and how to apply it to their everyday lives. The problem was that, in their insistence on following God's law as distinct and holy people, they ignored God's grace, and it was God's grace toward sinners that Jesus came to reveal and embody.

But Jesus was not associating with these people as if to condone their sinful activities. He wasn't saying, "Don't pay any attention to those stuffy Pharisees." He said, "Follow me." He called Levi to a new life as his disciple, and that invitation was so compelling and liberating that Levi threw a party so all his disreputable friends could meet Jesus too.

Jesus' answer to the Pharisees' objection is not only a classic piece of logic, but a marvelous statement of God's grace. It's the sick who need the doctor's attention, and it's the sinners who need the gracious call to repentance. Levi's dinner party anticipates another welcoming table---the table of the Lord---where we sinners are all invited to eat and drink his body and blood.