Portrait of a Disciple ~ Simon the Zealot

Hello! My name is Simon, also known to many as Simon the Zealot. Yes, I realize most zealots did not like to be identified as a zealot, however I felt very strongly about my cause and wore the name proudly. I would love to share with you some of the important things I learned as a disciple of Jesus. I will admit, I was a bit shocked that Jesus chose me to be one of His disciples. My first thought was, “what great thing does Jesus see in me, a zealot?” So, being the outspoken individual I am, I asked Him. Jesus said he saw my great eagerness and zeal for the law of God. I knew this was true, and I was so glad He knew my heart but I knew there was also anger and hatred I held in my heart as well. Jesus, knowing my thoughts, leaned over and whispered in my ear ever so sweetly and said, “Simon, I know your love for God can be stirred from a new direction, so come, and let me help you grow as I show you the kingdom of God is far beyond an earthly empire. This was hard to fathom but in the end I knew that somehow Jesus was speaking truth so I chose to follow him and listen to all that He had to teach us.

You see, as a zealot, I was a fervent, fanatic, ardent, and passionate Israeli nationalists. I believed that anything I could do to bring about Israel's independence from Rome was proper. I hated their Roman masters and despised all Jews who had any dealings with them. We zealots had two guiding principles: we refused to pay taxes to Rome. We believed that Palestine was a “holy land” and none of what it produced should go to a foreign occupying power. We also refused to acknowledge the rule of the Roman Emperor. We firmly believed Israel was a theocracy – Jehovah alone was our King. We would never worship or even acknowledge the Roman Emperor. We were terrorists, who were willing to sacrifice everything for our political ends. We stood firm in our beliefs and we would, without any thought or question, murder anyone who mentioned surrender, even our own people. Even in the face of sure defeat, we were known to kill.

I admit, I didn't make it easy for Jesus to work with me. Like several of the others Jesus chose, I had very strong opinions about the kingdom of God. All of us disciples often wondered what kind of power we might have in Jesus’ kingdom. I would dream of being Jesus’ head general in the kingdom battle against the Roman Empire! Jesus did not rebuke any of my dreams of greatness. Instead, Jesus was more than patient with me, as he was with the rest of his disciples. Jesus continually stayed focused on teaching us and redirecting my true understanding of the kingdom of God. Oh! What patience Jesus truly had with me! And Jesus certainly had His way with me. Over the course of my journey with Jesus, my love for God surely began to take on a new direction as my spiritual eyes were opened and my understanding of God's kingdom was truly becoming more and more clear. The hatred I continued to carry in my heart, because of my strong convictions and beliefs, was suddenly not so strong and neither was the importance to hold on firmly to that anger and hatred. I soon realized that my hatred had been turned to love by the power of Jesus Christ. And I knew this change was only possible through the power of Jesus Christ. God's Kingdom is a Kingdom of love! One of the amazing things I think about as I share these things with you is that I did not choose Jesus, but Jesus chose ME! I was a part of a very despicable terrorist group, yet Jesus still chose to see only the very best of things in my heart. No one would have ever thought about putting me, a zealot, with Matthew the tax collector for the Romans, but Jesus did. And I soon came to the full understanding of what a new relationship with Jesus can do with my current relationships. My association with Matthew eventually changed because of my new relationship with Jesus. It was Jesus who removed all the hate and animosity I once held. A new relationship with Jesus assures a new relationship with others! My background made no difference to Jesus and neither does yours; Jesus can and will STILL USE you to do work for His kingdom! Jesus said he chose me because I was truly a man of zeal, vigor, enthusiasm, and intensity and He needed a “zealot” in His group, someone totally sold out to a cause. Jesus needs His people to be just as committed to Him today!

I stayed committed to Jesus until the very end of his horrific crucifixion. I knew deep within my heart that my dream of God’s earthly kingdom was not really going to come true. However, I still chose to stay until after Jesus' resurrection and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. I may have been a zealot, but my passion was ultimately for my Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus did not choose me because He needed my political connections, but because He wanted to show me that God has a plan that far exceeds political movement. Jesus lifted my sights above Judea and its political needs. Jesus knew that in less than 40 years the country of Israel would cease to exist for almost 2000 years. My life could have been wasted as a Zealot, but because Jesus chose me I can thank Him that I was able to find the eternal meaning in being “zealous for Jesus my Savior!” Choosing to follow Jesus was the best decision I ever made, as I learned to invest in God’s Kingdom which is the only investment that brings everlasting dividends!