Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, and many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with him and his disciples. They were part of the large crowd that was following Jesus.
Jesus came down from the mountain with these men and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there, along with a large number of other people from all over Judea, including Jerusalem, and from the coastland around Tyre and Sidon.
As he was walking along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at a tax collection booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him.
Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors, and they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”