I remember the first time I read the word “zealot” in the Scriptures. The idea of a peasant person came to my mind, without much education, and with characteristics similar to the disciples of Jesus. Beyond our first impressions, it is interesting to know who the Zealots were, since one of Jesus’ disciples was.
What do we know about the Zealots?
There are two Biblical references to the qualifier “zealot”. The first is in Luke 6:15 and the second in Acts 1:13, although we also find him as a “cananist” (Mt. 10:4; Mr. 3:18). In the first reference, Luke is narrating the episode in which Jesus chose twelve of his close disciples, among them “Simon, who was called the Zealot.” In the second, the same disciple is named in the story of the upper room.
The word comes from the Greek zealotai which means “jealous”. For Flavio Josefo, the great Jewish historian, the use of the name zealot describes a Jewish sect or party formed before the year 66 B.C. C, in the intertestamental period.
Many religious and political groups arose in this period, motivated by the desire to generate opposition against foreign rule. Among the most recent were the Zealots, who saw themselves as heirs to the Maccabees (a Jewish liberation movement that fought against Seleucid power over Palestine).
The Zealots were an ultra-nationalist group that used force and violence to promote their ideals. They sought to end Roman rule in Palestine in order to achieve political independence. They fought for several decades until (according to some historians) around AD 70. C., year of the fall of Jerusalem.
For Kirsopp Lake, who was a history professor at Harvard, the Zealots were followers of Judas of Galilee, who founded in AD 6. C. what Josephus calls the “fourth philosophy” of the Jews. This philosophy insisted on disowning any king except God, and some modern books depict this group as having strong messianic hopes. Although their religious ideals resemble those of the Pharisees, the Zealots took the path of violence through guerrilla events against the invaders.
a transformed zealot
Knowing this, we cannot stop reflecting on Simon the Zealot. He is undoubtedly an enigmatic and striking character. Although the Bible does not tell us much about him, I want to highlight two things.
God’s grace surpasses all the negative characteristics that a human being can have.
First, this man was called by Jesus. This reminds us that God’s grace surpasses all the negative characteristics that a human being can have. The Lord knew Simon; he knew what he was, what he had done, his weaknesses, and his ideals. Despite that, saving grace enveloped this man who left behind all his past life. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 teaches us: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, now new things have been made.”
Second, this man stayed with Jesus. Simon may not have stood out like other disciples, but he was with the Master, learned from Him, and contributed to the spread of the gospel along with the rest of the apostles.
beyond the apparent
Based on this, we can conclude that the call of the Lord goes beyond appearances. Perhaps none of us would invite someone like Simon to church or to his house, but biblical evidence confirms time and time again that the Lord looks far beyond what man looks.
Simon’s story reminds us that God does not choose based on merit or works. In fact, some of us were worse than Simon. Like him, we were called by the Lord, and his grace has made us remain in faith. Paul said, “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph. 2:5).
Let us give glory to God because He does not look at the baseness of his servants.
Because of this, some authors argue that Simon did not necessarily belong to the group called that. However, historical evidence tells us otherwise.
Kirsopp, L. (1917), simon zealotsThe Harvard Theological Review, Volume 10. Taken from
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