Oh, how important a true seeing can be, to which, I'm sure, that officer would now concur! Do you remember back to your school days and not being able to see the board clearly? Did you ask to sit up front, or did you spend your time squinting? In recent weeks, our church has been looking at the lives of the first disciples, but now the one before us could cause us to squint! There is so little known about him, we don't think we can "see" him clearly—and if we can't see him, how can we take him seriously? In Matthew 10:4 and Mark 3:18, he is called Simon the Canaanite, but how much can we glean from that?
Plenty! Some suggest his home to be in Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine. Others speak more generally of the entire region of Canaan. But both are probably wrong—in the Hebrew, it is "Kana", meaning ardent or zealous. In Luke 6:15, he is called just that—"Simon called Zelotes," also translated, "the Zealot."(NIV) The Zealots were the Pharisees of the Pharisees—the strictest of the rabbinical schools. According to the Zealots, the Roman Empire had destroyed the independence of Israel, and made it impossible to keep all of the Mosaic laws. Centered in Galilee, they stirred up rebellion and sedition against Rome, while at the same time, looking for their own brand of Messiah—a political deliverer.
In response to this insurgency, the Roman generals Titus and Vespasion destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. The Jewish last stand would be at Masada, the great impregnable fortress of Herod. In 71 AD, General Silva laid siege to hundreds of Jews who were holed up behind its massive walls. With great determination, the Roman armies slowly built an earthen ramp up to its gates. Anticipating the upcoming massacre, the armies were shocked to find that all but three of the Jews were dead—they had cast lots to see who would kill whom. They would not die at the tip of the Roman sword, and so Masada became a Jewish symbol of heroism—similar to the Texan Alamo. It is quite probable, that at first, this Zealot, Simon, was looking to Jesus to be that Deliverer. Perhaps Jesus' persistent announcements that His Kingdom was not of this world redirected Simon's focus. Maybe through constant discipleship at the feet of Jesus, the hatred for Rome in Simon's heart vanished. His new leader, Jesus, had no use for hatred or violence—He spoke of love for God, vindication of the truth, love even for enemies, and doing good to those who use you. Simon soon learned that his greatest enemy was not Rome, but sin and separation from God. This ardent, and possibly violent, revolutionary laid his zeal at the feet of Jesus, and thereby, became a fiery herald for the Lord's Gospel.
Acts 1:13 makes it clear that Simon is still called a Zealot even after the ministry of Jesus, implying his zeal continued. Jesus didn’t just "clean up" his worldly zeal and now use it for His own cause; Simon had taken his fervency to the foot of the cross and laid it down. From then on, it wouldn't be his zeal, but Christ's. The late Leonard Ravenhill called it "Love Ablaze,"—that is, love with the glow of heavenly light. Simon's zeal would no longer be powered by sin; now it is against it! Both he and His new Master would know the reality of Psalm 69:9—"the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me," implying that zeal will bring us to see clearly the reproach of sin, taking it personally and seriously. This reminds me of a little boy who sat in church with his mother as the pastor preached a stirring message on the suffering and death of Jesus. Soon the boy started to cry. The mother, in embarrassment, leaned over and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't take it so seriously." That's right—Don't take it so seriously!
That, my friends, is precisely the problem today! A.W. Tozer saw it coming years ago when he wrote, "Men and women will gather anywhere and everywhere to talk about every subject on the planet, but the conversations stop when anyone dares to suggest that there are spiritual subjects of vital importance to our souls that must be considered. There seems to be an unwritten rule in our politically correct society that if any religious subjects are to be discussed, it must be within the framework of theory—'never let it get personal!'" Some today are even willing to say, "Go ahead and attend church if you want to, but you don't have to take it any further than that—you can live for yourself the rest of the week!" In other words, dead and ritualistic Christianity is enough—just as long as you believe in something. I have actually heard people say that their faith is personal, and therefore, it is private. In other words, "Leave me alone, because I don't want to be challenged to go any deeper. I just want to sit in church, looking like death warmed over—if even that—and still claim to know the Lord." No, that won't work! Where is the zeal for righteousness, holiness, purity, and obedience, which are the hallmarks of true Christianity? In the Greek, the word is "zelos", referring to a heat that produces ardor and fervency. The word is also used of the Lord Himself, being "jealous" of His people—expecting fidelity and faithfulness. In these days, where will it be found?
True zeal takes the Lord very seriously, not being afraid or ashamed to set the Cross in the face of a Godless world. So many today shrink in fear when they get a demeaning glance or a joking rebuke. Today's "quiet religion" apologizes, "I haven't anything to say," but that does not square with the vision of the heavenly beings who say with their voices, "Holy, Holy, Holy," and they weren't even redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God!!! Some will then say, "Well, I worship God in my own heart." I wonder if they do—I wonder if they are simply excusing the fact that they have not generated enough spiritual heat to even get their mouths open. And remember—if you are going to rely on your heart in this, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) I would much rather trust in what God's word says—the Bible links faith to expression, and faith that never gets expression is not a Biblical faith.
Daniel Webster, one of the greatest statesmen this country has ever known, was at a banquet in his own honor. One man asked, "Sir, what is the greatest thought that ever entered into your mind?" Without hesitation, Mr. Webster responded, "The greatest thought that ever entered my mind was the thought of my responsibility to God." As he spoke, he wept and finally excused himself in order to regain his composure. Upon his return to the room, he proceeded to elaborate for thirty minutes on his responsibility before his God. If we truly realized what God has done for us through Jesus Christ—both at Calvary and in the upper room on Pentecost—no one could stop us in our praise to Him. The zeal for His house would eat us up! It consumed Simon—sometime after he and the others were baptized in Holy Spirit and fire on Pentecost, the Lord sent him out to Egypt. Historical records indicate that after Simon preached throughout Northern Africa, he was led to Spain and even Britain. At that time, Boadicea, the queen of Britain, came against the Roman forces that had occupied her land. Incredible stories of extermination and destruction in London caused many to flee to the south. Simon may very well have been in that number, as the reports next place him in Palestine. Had his fervency been extinguished?
No! His zealous love for the Lord still blazed in his heart and life! Some records indicate that Simon then set out with his fellow disciple Judas Thaddeaus into Syria, Mesopotamia, and eventually, Persia. It was there that Judas was clubbed to death and Simon was sawn in half—while still alive! Why? For their zealous faith. Why? A lot of people don't like to see zeal for the Lord in other people. Why? I think it sort of reminds them that they should be on fire for the Lord, as well. Imagine—sawn in half! Do you see it? I mean, do you really see it—clearly? Read Acts 2—the purging fire of the Holy Spirit and the power of the indwelling Spirit of God has already been poured out. Now it is our turn to receive it—how seriously will you take it? More accurately—how seriously will you take Him? These aren't just words, this zeal is true saving faith in Christ—anything less, isn't!
