Of the twelve apostles, Simon, who was called a Zealot, and
Jude Thaddeus, are two of the lesser known.
The Zealots were an organization in Palestine dedicated to getting rid
of the Romans. However, it is unclear whether Simon was a
part of the group. He is mentioned in
all lists of the apostles. Jude is
mentioned under two names, Judas and Thaddeus, with the listing of the apostles
and once more in John’s Gospel at the Last Supper. Otherwise, there is nothing known of these
two men.
Some apostles are definitely more important than others. Peter, James, and John get a lot of press in
the gospels. We also hear from Andrew,
Matthew, and Thomas. But the rest go
about following Jesus in relative obscurity.
As apostles Simon and Jude were sent to preach the Good News of Jesus
Christ and, according to tradition, they were martyred for their faith. St. Jude comes down to us as the patron saint
of impossible causes.
So what can we gain from knowing about them? That even the apostles spread the word of God
in humility. They are the first ones
sent, which is what the word apostle means.
But that they did not get a lot of recognition did not bother them. They weren’t about bragging about their
positions as apostles or attracting attention to themselves. They did what God wanted them to do as
servants, drawing attention to their Master, Jesus Christ. Our challenge is to remember to spread the
Good News without making it about us. It
is about Jesus.
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