Jesus calls Simon the Zealot
Reading
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot...” - Luke 6:12-16A
Reflection
We've heard about all the other apostles, but here we see the inclusion of Simon the Zealot.
The Zealots were a movement that was birthed out of a rebellion that was actually very close to Jesus' hometown, where an uprising against the Romans led to a whole town of men being crucified. And Jesus would have known about this. It would have been a short walk away from where he grew up.
And the zealots' main purpose was to through the act of violence overthrow the Roman oppression that was upon the Jewish people. And there was a part of that whole movement that didn't want to be ruled by anyone else.
And by Jesus bringing Simon the zealot into his fold of apostles, he starts to show that there is another way, the way of humble submission and to give Caesar what is Caesar's.
It's a way in which we can enter into an overthrowing of power of sorts that's not done by violence, but that's done by love. And we see the eventual toppling of the Roman regime three hundred years later by the way of love where people are taking in the poor and the marginalized in Rome, and that kind of love transforming that whole system of government.
And we see the birth of a Christian way of imagination through all of that.
And so Jesus' inclusion of Simon the Zealot is an invitation to the parts of all of us that seek all types of power and control in order to get what makes us feel safe and it transforms us through the way of love in order to meet our neighbors' needs.
So let us pray.
Father.
I surrender the parts of me that seek power and control for my own safety. I surrender the places in me that are scared to risk, that want safety and security, and want to avoid vulnerability, especially with my fellow neighbor. I pray that you would give me what I need.
To be transformed through the process.
We love you, Jesus, and in your name we pray. Amen.