Simon and Jude, Apostles
Written by Fr. Carl B. Smith II
Saints Jude and Simon (right to left)
Apart from the joint commemoration of Peter and Paul on June 29th, apostles who are observed in pairs are typically lesser-known disciples of Jesus. This includes Philip and James (May 1) and Simon and Jude (October 28). In fact, James, Simon, and Jude are sometimes considered “third-tier” apostles because of their obscurity. Yet, another feature may unite Simon and Jude historically, as ancient legends find them ministering and dying together in Parthia, also known as Persia or modern Iran.
While Simon was a common name in first-century Palestine, this Simon is clearly the Zealot, very likely a member of the Jewish group that was most nationalistic and resistant to Roman domination. It was the Zealots who were chief instigators of the Jewish Revolt which started with numerous riots against Roman taxation in 66 AD, resulted in the devastation of the Temple in 70 AD, and ended with the Roman military’s siege of Herod’s mountain fortress of Masada in 74 AD, where nearly a thousand people, likely Zealots, committed suicide rather than become Roman prisoners. How much Simon retained his political views after Jesus called him is an unanswerable question; however, it is always interesting to consider that, at least during the years he was itinerating with Jesus, he was also in the company of Matthew, who was a tax collector for the Romans and despised by Simon’s like. This tells us that people who have conflicting political ideologies can be followers of Jesus, and it is very likely that following Jesus moderates those conflicting views.
Everything we know about Simon indicates that he turned his zeal for Jewish nationalism into a zeal for Israel’s Messiah and King. Nothing is said of Simon in the NT apart from the disciple lists, and references in early Christian writings are not abundant. Early legends place him in Egypt (likely), Parthia (likely), and Britain (unlikely). It is possible that he ministered first in North Africa, and then joined Jude in Parthia where they may have shared the fate of joint martyrdom. If this is true, these are the only two apostles who died together as martyrs. Depictions of Simon with a human-sized saw may indicate the nature of his death and the reason he is considered the patron saint of tanners, lumberjacks, and woodcutters.
The identity of Jude or Judas (the Greater) is less clear, largely because he is named Thaddaeus in Matthew’s and Mark’s disciple lists. He is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, Jesus’s betrayer, or with Jude, the brother of Jesus and probable author of the short Epistle of Jude. As many as half of Jesus’s twelve disciples were fishermen, and Jude and his brother James came from the family of a Galilean fisherman named Alphaeus. Jesus seemed to have preferred as disciples people of the working class and those outside the centers of religious and political power and intrigue in Jerusalem.
Besides the disciple lists, Judas Thaddeus is only mentioned once in the Gospels, asking a question of Jesus in John 14:22 which indicates that he, along with his peers, did not yet grasp his Master’s identity and mission. Yet, he and the other disciples were dramatically transformed by Jesus’s appearances following his resurrection, and together they became the foundation of Christ’s holy church (Eph.2:20). In the legends of the early church, Judas Thaddeus is believed to have ministered in Syria, Armenia, and Parthia. He is noted to have been an effective evangelist and exorcist and is recognized as the “Saint of Lost Causes,” that is, the patron of people in seemingly hopeless situations.
Simon the Zealot
Questions to ponder:
Have you ever felt like you are an obscure follower of Jesus, someone who doesn’t matter much in God’s kingdom? If so, how might the stories of Simon and Jude encourage you?
Do you have strong political views and sometimes wonder if you can fellowship with Christians who differ from you? How has following Jesus changed this impression and moderated your political views?
Do you come from a humble background and wonder why Jesus chose you? How might that background be an advantage rather than a disadvantage in Jesus’s kingdom work?
Does Jude’s identity as “Saint of Lost Causes” encourage you in any manner? How?
How does your zeal for Jesus and his kingdom compare with your zeal for other things, like sports, patriotism, or even food?
Collect for Saint Simon and Saint Jude (October 28; BCP 2019):
Grant, O God, that as your apostles Simon and Jude were faithful and zealous in their mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Additional Collect:
Lord Jesus, sometimes I feel left out, and other times I sense that I don’t belong. There are still other times I feel like if I went away, it wouldn’t even matter. Yet, you appear to have chosen people who are obscure, unknown, and marginal – sort of like me. In fact, that seems to be the case for most of the people you have called to follow and serve you. If that is true, then maybe there is a place for me at your table and in your kingdom. And if that is true for me, then maybe there are a whole host of other people out there who feel the same way about themselves and who you desire to come and eat with you. If that is true, and I think it is, then give me a zeal to tell them the good news about your welcoming presence in the company of our Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Resource:
Sheldon, W. Brian. Quest for the Historical Apostles: Tracing Their Lives and Legacies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.