After these things… (Luke 5:27)

One familiar tip about studying the Bible is this: when you see “therefore” in a passage of the Bible, you

need to find out what it’s “there for.” Well, today’s brief phrase presents a similar challenge. When we

see the phrase “after these things,” it begs the question: what things? What things are setting the stage

for what’s to come?

Earlier in Luke 5, we find that Jesus did three rather spectacular things:

1. He challenged Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen to cast their nets one more time – after they had fished all night with no success – and this time the miraculous haul was so great their boat almost sank! (Luke 5:4-7)
2. He put out His hand and touched a man who was full of leprosy (that in itself was unheard of, since lepers were considered untouchable) – but then He said the words, “Be cleansed” and the leprosy completely left the man. (Luke 5:12-13)
3. Jesus forgave and healed a paralytic – whose friends took some tiles out of a rooftop and eased their friend down right in front of Him. (Luke 5:17-25)

After this last event, Luke recorded an interesting observation: And they were all amazed, and they

glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!” (Luke 5:26)

So, there you have it – some strange things indeed – answers to our “what things” question. Now it’s

time to complete the sentence we started – and discover another strange occurrence.

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He

said to him, “Follow Me.” (Luke 5:27)

Why would Jesus choose Levi (or Matthew), the tax collector, to be one of His followers? Weren’t tax

collectors considered traitors to the Jewish people – and objects of their hatred?

Was Jesus thinking Matthew might be an asset since he was smart and had good business sense? Was

He thinking the detail-oriented Matthew might be just the one to write a gospel account recording His

most important teachings?

OR was Jesus shocking the community (and probably the other disciples) by choosing the “least likely to

be a Christ-follower” to be a Christ-follower? Was He making the point that God’s forgiveness and His

love are for everyone – even the scum of the earth?



Just when the people wanted to shout, “Not him!” Jesus said, “Yes… him!”

Perhaps there are some who might think it a strange thing that you and I are Christ-followers. The world

might have wanted to shout, “Not her!” “Not him!” Yet Jesus says, “Yes… these are the ‘everyone’ I died

for.”

By Judy Shrout