“Follow Me”

 

The Call of Christ and the Healing of the Sinner

 

A Sermon on Luke 5:27-32

At the Greek Orthodox Church in Swansea, West Wales, UK

Saturday 10^th October 2026

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
Today’s Gospel reading presents us with one of the most beautiful and encouraging encounters in the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ: the calling of Levi, the tax collector, who is also known as Matthew. Through this seemingly simple event, the Church invites us to reflect upon three great truths of our Christian faith: the boundless mercy of God, the transforming power of repentance, and the universal invitation to salvation.
 
The Evangelist Luke tells us that Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax office and said to him just two words: “Follow Me.” Immediately, Levi left everything, rose, and followed Him.
 
To appreciate the significance of this encounter, we must remember that tax collectors in the time of Christ were generally despised by their fellow Jews. They were associated with the Roman occupying authorities, and many were suspected of dishonesty, greed, and exploitation. They were regarded as sinners and often excluded from respectable religious society.
 
Yet Christ did not see Levi merely as a tax collector or as a sinner. He saw a human being created in the image and likeness of God, a person capable of repentance, holiness, and spiritual transformation.
 
This is a fundamental teaching of our Orthodox Christian faith: God does not identify us permanently with our sins. He sees beyond our weaknesses and failures. He sees what we can become through His grace.
 
The response of Levi is equally remarkable. The Gospel tells us that he left everything and followed Christ. He did not ask for time to consider the invitation. He did not negotiate conditions. He simply responded with faith and obedience.
 
For us, this raises an important question: when Christ calls us, how do we respond? Do we willingly follow Him, or do we allow our possessions, ambitions, habits, and worldly concerns to hold us back?
 
Following Christ does not necessarily mean abandoning our employment or family responsibilities. It means placing Christ at the centre of our existence and allowing His Gospel to guide our thoughts, decisions, relationships, and actions.
 
After his calling, Levi organised a great banquet in his house, inviting many tax collectors and others to share a meal with Jesus. This banquet was more than an expression of hospitality. It was a celebration of a new beginning, a joyful response to the mercy he had received.
 
But the Pharisees and scribes complained: “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
 
Their question reveals a dangerous spiritual attitude: the temptation to divide humanity into the righteous and the sinful, the worthy and the unworthy.
 
Christ answered with words that remain at the very heart of the Christian message: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
 
Here, our Lord reveals Himself as the Divine Physician, who comes to heal the spiritual wounds of humanity.
 
In the Orthodox tradition, sin is understood not only as the violation of God's commandments but also as a spiritual illness that damages our communion with God and with one another. Consequently, salvation is not merely a legal declaration of forgiveness. It is the healing, restoration, and transformation of the whole human person.
 
This is why the Church is often described by the Holy Fathers as a spiritual hospital. Within her life, through prayer, fasting, confession, the Holy Eucharist, acts of love, and sincere repentance, we receive the healing grace of Christ.
 
We must remember, however, that repentance, or metanoia in Greek, means much more than feeling sorry for our mistakes. It means a profound change of mind, heart, and direction. It is the courageous decision to turn away from sin and return to the loving embrace of our heavenly Father.
 
Levi's life demonstrates precisely this transformation. The man who once sat collecting money became a disciple who followed Christ. His priorities changed, his heart opened, and his life acquired a new and eternal purpose.
 
Dear brothers and sisters,
 
Today's Gospel also challenges us to examine our attitude towards others. Are we sometimes like the Pharisees, quick to judge and slow to forgive? Do we welcome those who struggle, or do we distance ourselves from them?
 
Our Orthodox faith calls us to combine faithfulness to the truth with compassion towards every human being. We must never confuse hatred of sin with rejection of the sinner.
 
The Lord who called Levi continues to call each one of us today. His invitation is personal, loving, and full of hope.
 
May we have the humility to recognise our spiritual illnesses, the courage to repent, and the faith to follow Christ without hesitation.
 
And may our parishes always be places of welcome, forgiveness, spiritual healing, and genuine Christian love, where every person can encounter the mercy of the living God.
 
Amen.