Apostolate: Simon the Zealot

The Rebel Spirit: From Cool Hand Luke to Simon the Zealot

Let me start with a confession: I love a good rebel story. There’s something about the stubborn, unbreakable spirit of a true rebel that draws me in. One of my favorites is the classic film Cool Hand Luke. If you’ve seen it, you know it’s not really about eggs, chain gangs, or even about winning or losing. It’s about a man—Luke Jackson, played by Paul Newman—who simply refuses to be broken.

Luke isn’t your typical hero. He’s not in prison for any good reason; he’s there because he cut the tops off parking meters after a night of drinking—a small, almost comical act of rebellion against a world that feels too restrictive and controlling. Inside prison, the rules are even harsher and the guards merciless. Most prisoners keep their heads down just to survive. But not Luke. He keeps getting up, keeps pushing back, no matter how many times he’s knocked down. He’s got a zeal—a restless, rebelliousness that refuses to accept things as they are.

There’s a famous line in the movie:
“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.”
It’s the warden’s way of saying, “Know your place.” But Luke isn’t interested in playing by the rules. He’s not trying to start a revolution, but he can’t help but challenge the system just by being himself. And it costs him everything.

Simon the Zealot: The Original Revolutionary

Now, let’s talk about a different kind of rebel—Simon the Zealot. Imagine growing up under Roman occupation, watching soldiers march through your streets, tax collectors squeezing your people into poverty, and God’s temple overtaken by foreign influence. Simon must have been angry and tired of being told to keep his head down.

The name “Zealot” comes from the Greek word zelos, meaning zeal or fervor. Zealots were insurgents, committed to freeing their people from Roman rule—no matter the cost. They used violence and terror, assassinating Roman officials and even fellow Jews seen as collaborators. Their world was a powder keg, and groups like the Sicarii (“dagger men”) made sure the fight was always close.

Yet, they were caught in a tension—longing for God’s kingdom, but seeking it through violence. They would sacrifice everything for a moment of freedom, even if it meant blood in the streets.

Rebellion, Righteousness, and the Civil Rights Movement

We’ve seen this tension play out again and again in history. Think of the 1960s Civil Rights movement:

• Martin Luther King Jr. walked humbly and nonviolently, trusting God to change hearts and dismantle injustice.

• Malcolm X stood tall and defiant, willing to claim justice “by any means necessary.”

It’s clear who the Zealot would be. But Jesus offered a different way. He said,
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it.”

My Journey: From Punk Rock to Humility

I was recently ordained, and looking back, my life has never been a straight line. I was the kid with a skateboard and a chip on my shoulder, screaming punk rock lyrics at the top of my lungs. My father taught me, “the right thing is ALWAYS the right thing.” But finding humility enough to fit in with the Methodists has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It didn’t feel humbling—it felt humiliating, like giving up a core piece of myself that cries out, like Amos,
“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

The punk band Minor Threat put it this way:

“I don’t want to be your filler
I don’t want to be your fool
I don’t want to be your victim
I don’t want to be your tool”

But when you always feel justified, you can justify anything. Looking back, I don’t love everything I’ve done in the name of righteousness. I’ve had to learn humility.

The Radical Alternative: The Jesus Way

For Simon the Zealot, following Jesus must have felt humiliating. His hands were blood-soaked, his feet walked violent roads—but at least he was doing something. Being a zealot meant obvious results: blood in the streets, mission accomplished. By comparison, Jesus’s way looked lazy and weak.

But Jesus offered a radical alternative:

• Submission to God

• Acting in faithfulness

• Willingness to suffer rather than retaliate

• Turning the other cheek

The Jesus way is about humility, service, and peacemaking. It refuses to pay in the currency of violence. Instead of insurrection or quietism, Jesus calls us to embody God’s kingdom through nonviolent, transformative presence.

The Zealots remind us of the human struggle for freedom—a struggle Jesus seeks to transform from the inside out. From zealotry to peace. From rebellion to radical love.

Conclusion: Choosing a Different Way

So what do we do with all this? We live in a world full of broken systems and restless hearts. Hurt people hurt people. Governments and militaries destroy bodies and tear apart families. Many are tempted to pick up the sword or raise their fists. Maybe that’s you. Sometimes it’s me.

But Jesus calls us to something different—a way of patience and love, humble service, and the courage to seek peace.

May we choose to be people who refuse to be broken—not by fighting with violence, but by standing firm in faith, turning the other cheek, and loving our enemies.
Let’s pray for those who persecute us, serve those who can never repay us, and build communities where peace is more than a word.

May peace become our way of life.
May the grace of Jesus Christ guide us.
Amen.

Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash