Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people.

Some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who belonged to their group complained to Jesus' disciples. "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other outcasts?" they asked.

The Son of Man came, and he ate and drank, and you said, 'Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!'

A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat.

One Sabbath Jesus went to eat a meal at the home of one of the leading Pharisees; and people were watching Jesus closely.

and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus.

One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot---the one who was going to betray him---said,

He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me."

Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.

While Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other outcasts came and joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.

Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such people?"

One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus,

the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, "This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!"

All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!"

How great are your actions, LORD! How deep are your thoughts!

This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand:

An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.

All the people heard him; they and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God's righteous demands and had been baptized by John.

God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it."

but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.

He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ,

in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders,

And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea---all living beings in the universe---and they were singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!"

saying, "Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!"