And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house. The modesty of our Evangelist signally appears here. Luke says (Luke 5:29) that "Levi made Him a great feast," or 'reception' х docheen (G1403) megaleen (G3173], while Matthew merely says, "He sat at meat;" and Mark and Luke say that it was in Levi's "own house," while Matthew merely says, "He sat at meat in the house." Whether this feast was made now, or not until afterward, is a point of some importance in the order of events, and not agreed among harmonists. The probability is that it did not take place until a considerable time afterward. For Matthew, who ought surely to know what took place while his Lord was speaking at his own table, tells us that the visit of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, occurred at that moment (Matthew 9:18). But we know from Mark and Luke that this visit of Jairus did not take place until after our Lord's return, at a later period, from the country of the Gadarenes. (See Mark 5:21, etc., and Luke 8:40, etc.) We conclude, therefore, that the feast was not made in the novelty of his discipleship, but after Matthew had had time to be somewhat established in the faith; when, returning to Capernaum, his compassion for old friends, of his own calling and character, led him to gather them together that they might have an opportunity of hearing the gracious words which proceeded out of His Master's mouth, if haply they might experience a like change.
Behold, many publicans and sinners - [Luke says, "a great company" (Matthew 9:29)], came and sat down with him and his disciples. In all such cases the word rendered 'sat' is 'reclined,' in allusion to the ancient mode of lying on couches at meals.