Are You?

Simon called the Zealot…Luke 6:15

Simon the Zealot was one of the apostles. He traveled with Jesus and after His ascension he was in the upper room in Jerusalem, Acts 1:13.

The Zealots can be traced back to the Maccabees. From that time there existed among the Jews a group of men called Zealots. They strictly adhered to the Law of Moses. They pursued their passion even to the point of violence. Phinehas, Numbers 25:10-13, was one of their heroes. Verse 11: the Lord said to Moses: “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them…” What Phinehas did is recorded in Numbers 25, verses 7-9. Of course, the Maccabees are famous for their retaking the temple from the Romans. Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of the temple after the Maccabean Revolt. 

When the word zealous or zeal is used of the Lord it describes God’s love for Israel, Numbers 25:11. And God’s jealousy for His people, Exodus 20:5: For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God… This was Simon’s desire. To defend Israel and her ways with great passion. 

The Apostle wrote of his desire for us to be zealous for spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 14:12 and to be zealous for good works, Titus 2:14. A zealot is one who pursues something with great passion, a “fervent desire” as Jesus did. A zealot is one who defends something with his life, as Simon did. All the apostles died for their faith. Today we use the word fanatic, “a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal; especially for an extreme religious or political cause,” Oxford Dictionary. 

We are surrounded by both kinds of fanatics. Those who walk in the light and those who walk in darkness. 1) Those who believe in God with such zeal, the desire to love God and others. People who believe in Jesus and live. 2) Those who reject God mocking those who believe. Some on both sides resort to violence. For this reason, Jesus came and dwelt among us. Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness, John 12:46. 

You reflect His light. Are you a zealot?