2:13–17 Mark introduces a second example of conflict, in this section devoted to conflict stories, by means of this story of Jesus’ call of a tax collector and Jesus’ social association with such people. There are two incidents mentioned here, the call of Levi (vv. 13–14) and the eating with “sinners” (or outcasts; vv. 15–16), and the connection between them is that they both show Jesus associating closely with people deemed unacceptable by the religious purists of his day.

In the one case, a tax collector, an employee of the Roman-installed-and-supported government of Herod Antipas, is invited to become a personal disciple of Jesus. Such people were disliked by many as religiously impure or even as collaborators with the Romans (see note). By calling Levi (see note) to personal fellowshi…