Mk 2:13-17
13[Jesus] went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. 14As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 15While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 16Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17Jesus heard this and said to them [that], “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS: Galileans in Jesus’ time were burdened by state taxes paid to Rome and Herod Antipas who imposed direct taxes on land properties and individuals (head taxes). Moreover, indirect taxes were imposed on transit trade and market exchanges in Capernaum, an important fishing locale.
Fishing, which was part of the Galilean economy, was not a “free enterprise” for fishermen around Lake Tiberias. Herod Antipas, through the local rulers, sold fishing rights to “brokers” (telonai, commonly translated as “tax collectors”). These, in turn, contracted with fishermen. The fishermen received capitalization along with fishing rights and were therefore indebted to the brokers. The fishermen might contract partners and hired laborers to help with all activities.
Levi is probably a broker or contractor of royal fishing rights. As such, he may have bid leases to fishing families like those of Simon and Andrew, and Zebedee and his sons.
The heavy taxes were a great burden to the people, and the brokers could be looked upon as robbers and thieves, due to feelings or perceptions of injustice. In the Gospel, the Pharisees are shown to avoid Levi and his fellow tax collectors, whom they lump with other sinners. They also condemn Jesus’ association with these people.
By answering that those who are well do not need a physician, Jesus is implying ironically that the Pharisees are more ill than those they call “sinners.” Affirming that these outcasts need healing, Jesus neither condemns nor ostracizes them but loves them and sits down to a meal with them.