Matthew 9:9-13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 As Jesus passed on from there,(A) he saw a man named Matthew[a] sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10 While he was at table in his house,[b] many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.(B) 11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher[c] eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.[d] 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words,(C) ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[e] I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 9:9 A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mk 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Mt 10:3 as “the tax collector.” The evangelist may have changed the “Levi” of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the first four disciples (Mt 4:18–22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing.
- 9:10 His house: it is not clear whether his refers to Jesus or Matthew. Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46. Table association with such persons would cause ritual impurity.
- 9:11 Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19.
- 9:12 See note on Mk 2:17.
- 9:13 Go and learn…not sacrifice: Matthew adds the prophetic statement of Hos 6:6 to the Marcan account (see also Mt 12:7). If mercy is superior to the temple sacrifices, how much more to the laws of ritual impurity.
Luke 5:27-32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything behind,[a] he got up and followed him. 29 (A)Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
The Question About Fasting.(B)
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