CONSUMED BY ZEAL (SEE JN 2:17)
“You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Capstone.” –Ephesians 2:20
Jesus selected twelve Jewish men to be His apostles. One of these is St. Simon, who was specifically identified as a Zealot (Lk 6:15), perhaps to distinguish him from Simon Peter, the leader among the apostles. Scholars debate whether Simon was a terrorist involved in inciting riots against the Romans, or was instead a religious Jew zealously devoted to the law of Israel. Simon certainly was passionate.
St. Simon could appreciate the zeal of Jesus. He was present when Jesus cleansed the Temple with a whip of cords, driving out the money changers and animals to be sold for sacrifices. The apostles at this scene “recalled the words of Scripture: ‘Zeal for Your house consumes Me’ ” (Jn 2:17; see also Ps 69:10). It’s likely Simon was attracted to the zeal of Jesus, yet he had to sit at Jesus’ feet and be transformed into an apostle. Simon’s zeal was important for spreading the Good News, yet he needed to grow in godly wisdom first (see Rm 10:2; 2 Cor 9:2).
Zeal is prevalent in today’s culture. A simple look at the “comments” section in any social media post will show an abundance of zeal by those who proclaim their opinions. “Without knowledge even zeal is not good” (Prv 19:2). Zeal can be a good trait if we place it at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to transform it as He wills. Simon gave his zeal to Jesus and now is a part of the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20; Rv 21:14). With St. Simon, let us ask the Lord for wisdom and the necessary zeal to spread it.
PRAYER: Father, burn away all my apathy and replace it with godly zeal. Let zeal for Your house consume and transform me.
PROMISE: “In [Jesus] you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” –Eph 2:22
PRAISE: “Persevere in God’s love, and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to eternal life” (Jude 21).
