The Zealot
There are a variety of speculative theories about Simon the Zealot. Other ideas are that he was especially zealous for the law, while some point to his name and say it has nothing to do with zeal at all – apparently the Hebrew word can also mean ‘Cana’, prompting some to suggest that not only was Simon from that town where Jesus turned water into wine as an invited guest at a wedding, but that Simon was the bridegroom that day!
Let’s stay with the more likely notion that Simon was associated with the zealot group. We’ve already seen this could have made things tense, especially with a former tax collector like Matthew/Levi on the team. The zealots were particularly outraged at the Roman tax system, especially the increased levies threatened by the census of Quirinius, the census that happened around the time of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-2).
There are a few moments of violent talk or action in the life of Jesus’ team. James and John offer to call down city-wide destruction when Jesus is not welcomed in a Samaritan town. Peter takes up the sword to defend Jesus when He is arrested in Gethsemane. We might have expected a former zealot to be the one rushing to a fight, or at least lending his voice in support of violence, but he doesn’t. There is much we don’t know about Simon, but this much seems clear – he radically changed. He was martyred (some say in Britain) and his remains are buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.