Mark 2:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why do you not criticize Him for dining with tax collectors and associating with them, even choosing them as His followers, with the intention of securing something for Himself (cf. Mt. 9:9-12, Mt. 11:19; Lk. 5:27-30, Lk. 7:34, Lk. 19:1-10)? What is His purpose? - The redemption of sinners. Unless we, of course, wish to condemn the healer for approaching those afflicted with sores and enduring the unpleasantness in order to restore the ill.

Rather than recognizing the love showcased by the Son of Man, the crowd turned their focus to His disciples, attempting to incite discord by derisively asking, “Why does your teacher associate with tax collectors and sinners, while overlooking you?” In response, Jesus spoke on behalf of His disciples, posing the question: to whom does a physician extend care, to the healthy or the ailing? You perceive yourselves as strong; is it so unusual that the Son of Man does not engage with you? Furthermore, those well-versed in the law should remember the words of the prophet: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” and must not look down upon those who are deemed lowly, ostracized by your pride.

The Pharisees, who were observing Jesus, certainly refrained from entering the tax collector's home to avoid becoming unclean, yet they carefully monitored all His actions. They were aware that He was dining with tax collectors and other individuals deemed sinners. After patiently waiting for those at Matthew's house to depart, they inquired of Jesus' disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). In their understanding, a devout Jew would not choose to associate with such unrighteous individuals, so if Jesus was sharing a meal with them, it implied that He also shared their sinfulness.

The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, who began to observe the actions of the young Teacher from Galilee with great interest, could not overlook His miracles. These wonders inspired a forced admiration within them, and the notion started to arise in their hearts that if He was not the Messiah, He might at least be a new prophet heralding His arrival. However, there existed an odd contradiction in His conduct, particularly in this instance where He chose to associate with tax collectors and sinners. It was already deemed inappropriate for Him to select Matthew the tax collector as one of His closest companions, as this association would bring disfavor upon Him in the eyes of devout Jews.

For the account of Matthew's calling to apostleship, one can refer to the closely related passage found in Matthew 9:9-13. Levi, identified as the son of Alphaeus, is recognized as Matthew the tax collector, who is the sibling of the Apostle James, also the son of Alphaeus. The evidence that Levi and Matthew are indeed the same individual is supported by the consistency of the narratives surrounding Matthew's invitation to the apostolic mission in the Gospel of Matthew and the mention of Levi in the relevant context. Notably, Levi's name does not appear in any of the lists of the Apostles compiled by the Evangelists. It was customary among the Jews to have multiple names, as seen in examples like Judas, also known as Thaddeus, and Simon, who is recognized as Peter.