Luke 5:29 FNV

This circumstance "Matthew," or "Levi" as he is here called, has omitted in his own gospel. This fact shows how little inclined the evangelists are to say anything in favor of themselves or to praise themselves.

True religion does not seek to commend itself, or to speak of what it does, even when it is done for the Son of God. It seeks retirement; it delights rather in the consciousness of doing well than in its being known; and it leaves its good deeds to be spoken of, if spoken of at all, by others.

This is agreeable to the direction of Solomon Proverbs 27:2; "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth."

This feast was made expressly for our Lord, and was attended by many publicans, probably people of wicked character; and it is not improbable that Matthew got them together for the purpose of bringing them into contact with our Lord to do them good.

Our Saviour did not refuse to go, and to go, too, at the risk of being accused of being a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, Matthew 11:19. But his motives were pure.

[Excerpt from Barnes' Commentary]

He Brings Together (Levi/Matthew) hosted a great feast for Creator Sets Free (Jesus). He invited all his friends to come. Tribal tax collectors, along with other outcasts, were all sitting around the table with Creator Sets Free.

The Separated Ones (Pharisees) called certain people outcasts. They used their strict interpretation of the law as a way to point them out. These outcasts were not permitted to enter the gathering houses. They were looked down on and despised by the Separated Ones. Outcasts included tribal tax collectors, prostitutes, people who ate and drank too much, the ones with diseases that made them ceremonially unclean, and anyone who was not a member of the tribes of Wrestles With Creator (Israel).

(Luke 5:29)