GodReflection: A Brand-New Life and Have Everything To Live For.
On the surface a militant seems to be a strange selection to share a message of peace. From my sheltered perspective it is not a personality type all that familiar to me. A militant favors confrontational and violent methods in support of their political party agenda or social cause. Nope, surely, Jesus could have made a better selection. Weren’t there any more Galilean fishermen?
To be a Zealots was to join those who sought to overthrow the Roman occupation of Palestine through violence, terror, and political intimidation. Murder is in order if that is what it takes to get the job done.
Simon has passion and zeal. He is a get-it-done person. I suspect Jesus liked his fervor and knew his message of God’s rule by peace would redirect this militant and help him commit to A Brand-New Life and Have Everything To Live For.
Like many of the Zealots, it is probable Simon had initially followed Jesus for political reasons, wondering if Jesus was the kind of revolutionary leader who would finally lead Israel in open revolt against their Roman oppressors.
He too had heard of The Messiah and along with most of Jesus’s followers had hopes he would overthrow the Romans. Perhaps Simon was already familiar with Judas Iscariot, a fellow disciple called by Jesus who most likely was a Zealot as well.
However, unlike Judas Iscariot, the longer Simon follows his Master Teacher, the more he begins to see Jesus for who he really is—God’s Son sent to earth to save all of us, his children. And step by step transformation by Christ’s love and his mission of grace transforms the Militant’s former life of violence, political activism, and extremism into an ardent passion to share Jesus’s mission of peace.
Unlike the two sets of Bethsaida brothers Peter, Andrew, James, and John, the Bible doesn’t tell us a great deal about Simon the Zealot. His only mention is found four times when Scripture lists the twelve Apostles.
One of those listings grabs my attention. It’s the one found in (Act 1:13) after the eleven apostles witness the ascension of Jesus into the clouds and they return to the upper room meeting place. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
What stands out to me is that, unlike Judas Iscariot, the now transformed humble militant Simon is more committed than ever to the risen-ascended Jesus Son of God who will now reign as King over all of our lives and one day will return for us as our Eternal King to Reign over his newly created earth and our new perfect bodies. We are his children forever.
Yes, we like Simon the Militant have A Brand-New Life and Have Everything To Live For.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Simon The Militant.
God Reflection 