Levi 2:13-14

“And he went out again beside the sea- does this mean he was just going for a walk? Or was he going out knowing that the crowds would come- How did they come? and all the crowd came to him and he taught them- what day is it? what would they normally be doing? Have half the businesses in Capernaum and surrounding towns just taken holidays? And what is the attitude of the crowd as the sit and listen? What was the conversion rate from the interested crowds to those who actually followed him? What conversations went on afterwards? How far could you make your voice carry in such a situation? Would there have been any precedent in these people's lives? perhaps in Jerusalem in the temple precinct, listenting to speakers at the great festivals (how did that all work- how much of a 'service' did they have?)

and as he was passing by he saw Levi the son of alphaios sitting at the custom house, and he said to him follow me. And he rose (anastas – got up) and followed him.
Levi hadn't left his place of work where others had- Did Jesus take note of him on the way to the 'sea' and then tell him to follow him on the way back? Had there been any interaction between them before this time? Had there been other times when Levi had been sitting in the crowd listening intently. How well did he know Peter and Andrew and James and John? They must have known each other- how would it have worked- Did Peter and the others sometimes have to take fish to other markets in the neighbourhood and get taxed by Levi as they passed by? Had their father's had to pay Levi's father at the same booth? Just had an interesting thought about how far the family memory went back with some sort of sense of immediacy – in my grandfathers day... and surely this was far more vivid than in our times when oral history was more vivid, nuanced and perhaps accurate.
Galilee was under Herod Antipas at the time.
Was it 4 BC or so that his Father Herod the great died? - I imagine the tax arrangements hadn't changed too much in the time- The Romans farming it off to local rulers, who then farmed it off to provincial administrators who in turn did the same- at each level a cut being taken. (How exactly did it work in Galilee?) If you had a contract- you'd probably been able to pull a few strings to get it- and I imagine once you had it- if you kept the money flowing further up, you would have kept it- consolidated your position as a friend of the administration (and at the same time enemy of the people) and being upper middle class.
Did they attend the same synagogue (How many where there in a town the size of Capernaum- I assume it is not the same as us with denominations and numerous small churches- but was there more than one?) What is the religious make up of a galilean village? I assume that the divisions such as Pharisees and Saducees were either not as strict or not as well attended as further south- What percentage of the population attended the Synagogue- was there such a thing as nominalism in the same way we experience it – I get the impression that their whole atmosphere was soaked in religion in a totally foreign way to Australia.
There could have been some pretty interesting goings on in the local synagogue- was someone like Levi barely tolerated there?
What's going on for him? He couldn't have escaped the fuss about this new teacher/ prophet/ healer figure- it is probably reasonable to assume that Levi had heard him in person- he hadn't left his booth on this day- but when he knocked off normally I assume that would have given him time to be a part of one of the crowds in the evening- Even if he hadn't heard him in person- and I imagine this unlikely- he would have certainly heard all sorts of stories- perhaps talked to people who had been healed or had demons driven out of them- he would have seen a wide cross section of the population in his job. Still, far more likely he would have gone to hear him- even if when he did – it was with other priveleged types – who didn't take belief too seriously- and were there out of curiosity – the mild interest of the slightly disinterested- but who knows- though it is hard to imagine a passionate Jew who was passionate about God, being very comfortable as a tax collector- we know next to nothing- except perhaps speculations can have a certain amount of accuracy- the nature of job forces something of itself onto the worker- as a general rule the type is true- factory worker, teacher. policeman- a person often has a natural aptitude in such an area- but even if he doesn't he develops what is needed for the job- the no nonsense approach of the policeman, the almost religious way smoko is viewed by the factory worker- (like the sabbath).
Was Levi longing to follow the crowd and listen to this man? Had his soul being captured or at least captivated at this point- the process is surely going on- Did he stay by his post like the respectable accountant who often ends up putting the firm first – And then you get this moment as Jesus comes back from the shores of the lake and he is walking by the booth (probably for the second time that day) and 'he saw' Levi- I'd say Mark is just telling the story in his brief fashion and in one sense doesn't mean anything by this- but reading a bit more over the top- I think Jesus really did see him- he often saw people others didn't- and whatever the facade is – he doesn't stop there (where a lot of our relating happens) – how many others in the Synagogue would have signed Levi up for such an enterprise. How did Jesus see in such a way- not much before he has perceived in his spirit what others were thinking- I think its more complex than super Jesus or the 'man' (as in there a bits of both- the whole humanity divinity thing in Jesus not broken up in a greek way- he was a whole person)- There is wisdom working here in it deepest sense – and wise people often are very good at discerning people's heart- Jesus I think says as much many times- handwashing, outside of cups, not entrusting himself to the crowd because he knew what was in the heart of man-
Yep- one of the hallmarks of Jesus- his clear vision- the ability to see the heart of the matter.
He wouldn't have been walking alone- how many people were in the immediate vicinity (I really want to get there or thereabouts), they'd probably just heard amazing things, but then the most amazing thing that day happens (Mark doesn't particularly try to bring this out in any way- just tells) Jesus tells (doesn't ask), Levi to follow him- and he leaves his booth (where he hadn't earlier in the day) and does just that.

If this is the same Matthew that wrote the gospel of Matthew- does seem to speak of a man who grew up steeped in Jewish lore- had it ever penetrated is heart up to this point? After this the concern for his people is most un tax collector like- his gospel very much for a Jewish audience- whatever took place before this – his response to Jesus was immediate and whole hearted.