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The number of our Lord's apostles not being filled up, observe 1. What a free and gracious, what an unexpected and undeserved choice Christ makes. Levi, that is Matthew, (for he had both names,) a grinding publican, who gathered the tax for the Roman emperor, and was probably guilty, as others were, of the sins of covetousness and extortion, yet he is called to follow Christ, as a special disciple.
Learn hence, that such is the freeness of divine grace,that it sometimes calls and converts sinners unto Christ, when they think not of him, nor seek unto him. Little did Levi now think of a Saviour, much less seek after him, yet he is here called by him, and that with an efficacious call: Matthew, a publican; Zaccheus, an extortioner; Saul, a persecutor; all these are effectually called by Christ, as instances and evidences of the mighty power of converting grace.
Observe, 2. Levi's or Matthew's ready compliance with Christ's call: He presently arose and followed him. Where the inward call of the Holy Spirit accompanies the outward call of the word, the soul readily complies and yields obedience to the voice of Christ. Our Saviour, says the pious bishop Hall, speaks by his word to our ears, and we hear not, we stir not; but when he speaks by his spirit efficaciously to our heart, Satan cannot hold us down, the world shall not keep us back; but we shall with Levi instantly rise and follow our Saviour.
Observe, 3. Levi, to show his thankfulness to Christ, makes him a great feast. Christ invited Levi to a dicipleship, Levi invites Christ to a dinner; the servant invites his Master, a sinner invites his Saviour; a better guest he could not invite, Christ always comes with his cost with him. We do not find that when Christ was invited to any table, he ever refused to go; if a publican, if a Pharisee, invited him, he constantly went; not so much for the pleasure of eating, as for an opportunity of conversing and doing good; Christ feasts us when we feed him. Levi, to give Christ a pledge and specimen of his love, makes him a feast.
Learn thence, that new converts are full of affection towards Christ, and very expressive of their love unto him. Levi's heart being touched with a sense of Christ's rich love, makes him a royal feast.
Observe, 4. The cavil and exception which the scribes and Pharisees made at our Lord's free conversation. They censur him for conversing with sinners. Malice will never want matter of accusation. Our Saviour justifies himself, telling them he conversed with sinners as their physician, not as their companion: They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
As if our Lord had said, "With whom should a physician converse but with sick patients! And is he to be accused for that? Now this is my case. I am come into the world to do the office of a kind physician unto men: surely then I am to take all opportunities of conversing with them, that I may help and heal them, for they that are sick need the physician; but as for you scribes and Pharisees, who are well and whole in our own opinion and conceit, I have no hopes of doing good upon you; for such as think themselves whole desire not the physician's help."
Now from this assertion of our Saviour, The whole need not the physician, but the sick.
These truths are suggested to us:
1. That sin is the soul's malady, its spiritual disease and sickness.
2. That Christ is the physician appointed by God for the cure and healing of this disease.
3. That there are multitudes of sinners spiritually sick, who yet think themselves sound and whole.
4. That such, and only such as find themselves sin-sick, and spiritually diseased, are subjects capable of Christ's healing: They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. I come not, says Christ, to call the (opinionatively) righteous, but the (sensible) sinner, to repentance.