Hey Jude. And Simon.

“Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?'” John 14:22

Today is the Feast of Simon and Jude. Other than the identities as two of the Twelve, we know very little about them. Simon, known as the Zealot or the Cananaean, is only mentioned in the lists of the apostles. He’s not even the most famous Simon among the Twelve. As for Jude, we’re not even sure if any of the Judes mentioned in the New Testament are the same as any of the other Judes (although we know he’s not that Judas). There are as many as four different Judes! But if we don’t know if Jude is Jude, we’re pretty sure he’s Thaddeus. Got it?

Well, if you’re confused, so was Jude. Jude the apostle, that is. During the Last Supper, as they’re trying to come to grips with Jesus’ impending departure, Jude asks a pretty good question: Why are you revealing yourself to us, but not to the whole world? To which Jesus responds, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” Which is to say, you Jude, and all the rest, are the beloved community through which Jesus’ saving love will be revealed to and experienced by the world.

This work continues today. We are the beloved community whose call it is to live together in love and to welcome others into the life that flows from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Legend has it that Simon and Jude went to Persia to spread the gospel and were martyred there. Their deaths did not stop God’s expansive community from growing. We live in a world that continues to resist goodness and grace, peace and love. Let us be the ones to more fully reveal these gifts.

Be well, friends. You are loved.

Lord of life, you have chosen to reveal yourself to the world through the work of your people. Let us cling to Christ and his promises as we make Christ known to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image: San Judas Tadeo, El Greco, between 1610 and 1614 (public domain).