The Complete Sayings of Jesus

Matthew (Levi) Called — His Banquet — The Whole Need Not a Physician — John's Disciples Fast: Christ's Fast Not — Two Parables: Old Garment, New Wine.

A.D. 28. Age 31 Capernaum.

Luke 5, 27-39; Matthew 9, 9-17; Mark 2, 13-22.

JESUS went forth again by the sea side; and the multitudes resorted unto him, and he taught them.

As he passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew (Levi, a publican¹), sitting at the receipt of custom: he said unto him, Follow me. And he rose up, left all, and followed Jesus.

Levi made him a great feast² in his own house: and, behold, many publicans and others sat at meat with Jesus and his disciples. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat with publicans and sinners? Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard that, he saith unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:³ for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The disciples of John used to fast often: and they come and say unto Jesus, Why do thy disciples fast not? Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he spake also a parable unto them, No man also seweth a piece of new cloth upon an old garment; else the new piece that filleth it up agreeth not with the old: it taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. Another parable put he forth. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles:⁴ else the bottles will be marred: the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.

Footnotes:

¹publican: a taxgatherer.

²The three accounts of Levi's feast (particularly of the bridechamber parable) exhibit interesting variations of text: Luke 5, 29-39; Mark 2, 15-22; Matthew 9, 10-17.

³Hosea 6. 6.

⁴Wine-skins were the "bottles."