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On the various New Testament lists of the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13), the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon the Zealot and by Judas of James, also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. The latter are nicknames on his size. Judas (often called Jude in English) is variously named, but this could be expected given the co-incidence of names and many sibling pairs among the apostles.

Before the Crucifixion, there would have been a need to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot for convenience and clarity, and after the Crucifixion there would be an additional reasons for the distinction.
In His instructions to His Apostles, Christ tells them to 'go out to all the world.' They are to carry nothing with them, but the clothes on their backs, they are to accept the charity and hospitality of those they meet. They are to 'shake the dust from their sandals' if a town is not welcoming, and they are to travel in pairs, so that one may witness to what the other had taught.

Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually put together.

After the Last Supper it was Jude who asked Our Lord why he chose to reveal Himself only to the disciples. He received the reply: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:22f)

The ninth name on the lists of Apostles is that of James (the son) of Alphaeus. Although most modern translations render "Judas of James" as "Judas the son of James," there has been a tendency to understand it as "Judas the brother of James" and to assume that these two apostles were brothers. This assumption in turn leads to an identification of the two with the "brothers of the Lord" of the same name.

The New Testament Epistle of Jude was written by "Judas the brother of James," which could refer to either Jude. In any case, we commemorate on this day (1) Simon the Zealot, one of the original Twelve; (2) Judas of James (also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus), also one of the original Twelve; and (3) Jude (or Judas) the brother of James and author of the Epistle, without settling the question of whether (2) and (3) are the same person.

The Epistle of Jude is a short letter, addressed to the Church, and warns against corrupt influences that have crept in. It includes a memorable exhortation to "contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," and an even more memorable closing:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy, to the only wise God, or Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

Jude is often, in popular usage, referred to as the patron of desperate causes, the "saint of last resort," the one you ask for help when all else fails. There may be several reasons for this. First, since his name is remiscent of Judas Iscariot, there is a tendency for someone asking a Christian brother now with the Lord for intercessory prayers to try one of the other apostles first. Hence, Jude has come to be called "the saint of last resort," the one whom you ask only when desperate.

Another possible reason is that that Jude travelled long distances and was often far removed from his brother Apostles. In the early days of the Church, when most of the members will still alive, it was common to join in prayer. In fact to ask 'for prayers' is to ask for the other to join you in prayer. Since Jude was often absent, he would not have been asked 'for prayers' often, and hence was approached as a last resort.

Of course, it is also possible that Jude had a reputation for managing difficult or seemingly impossible feats, either of strength, procurement, conversion or spirituality. As such a 'wonder-worker' he would be the logical choice to approach, even after death, with a seemingly insoluble problem.

	“Saints days for Simon and Jude.”
	Today's selected reading: Luke 6: 12-16
	• Instead of a traditional sermon or Kid's talk. The suggested play below could be acted out and additional parts or explanations added. It is good at times to involve the whole congregation and what's more is great fun and memorable. You may prefer to download a copy in word. POWERPOINT slides for background download further down the page.
	Kids Church Activity: Role play for some of the disciples. This to be a congregation activity. Adults to be the props Eg: a tree waving in the breeze, or one of the characters individually or as a crowd scene. This will be a lead in to next week’s activity
	What you need to get ready: Props for each of the mini role plays, some costumes to give effect, backdrops prepared for the video projector or an overhead projector.
Left: Simon Right: Jude Simon: Known as a great fisher of men through the power of the Gospel Jude: The sailing vessel represents the church which carried him to many ports as he journeyed as a missionary.
To create a little play acting for the whole congregation. Characters to be trees waving in the breeze, Door archways, Crowd scenes, Hands together to create a boat etc. *Basic outline of the story* Simon and Jude talking together Simon: Hey Jude, you should join our Zealot movement as we are determined to get rid of the Roman Government. We have a team ready to kill all their leaders so we can take over the country. Jude: No I don’t think so, I don’t like violence. I hear there is a bloke called Jesus who is really popular. Maybe we should go and listen to hear what he thinks we should go Simon: OK – Lets go find him but it is very windy today so hang on to your hat (They both move off and go between tree people who are waving in the strong breeze.) Simon: Hey, by the way. Is your name Jude or Thaddaeus. Jude: Doesn’t matter. I get both names (Simon and Jude meet Jesus) Simon: Hey man. I hear you are doing great stuff with people. Do you think we could join your group Jesus: Sure. Why not come along and have dinner with the rest of my group (They them move off to eat with Jesus) Jude: Hey Jesus. Why is it that you only tell your own group who you really are? Jesus: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him” Jude: So you are saying we have to know and love you first before we can be real true Christians Jesus: Well done Jude. You are one smart cookie. I have a job for you to do after I die. I want you to tell everyone about my Father and what it means to be a member of the Christian faith. Jude: I would like to Jesus, but I am such a lost cause in most of the things I do. In fact I am often told I should be the saint of lost causes Jesus: That’s OK. I will still love you so long as you make a true effort to show your love for me. (Explain that Jesus is crucified and then rises from the dead and goes back to heaven. They them move off on their journey) Jude: Come on Simon, let’s go to Persia and tell people about Jesus (Go off in a boat to Persia) Jude: I don’t think I like this much Simon. They look a bit rough Simon: Well we have been doing this now for a few years and some have come to love Jesus. Crowd yell out: We don’t believe in your God. Get lost. Jude: I can’t do that, as I promised Jesus I would tell as many people as I could about how we should love his Father – God. Crowd: Then we will get rid of you instead (The crowd then move in and kill both Simon and Jude)

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Simon and Jude

Additional Background Material	On the various New Testament lists of the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13), the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon the Zealot and by Judas of James, also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. The latter are nicknames on his size. Judas (often called Jude in English) is variously named, but this could be expected given the co-incidence of names and many sibling pairs among the apostles. Before the Crucifixion, there would have been a need to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot for convenience and clarity, and after the Crucifixion there would be an additional reasons for the distinction. In His instructions to His Apostles, Christ tells them to 'go out to all the world.' They are to carry nothing with them, but the clothes on their backs, they are to accept the charity and hospitality of those they meet. They are to 'shake the dust from their sandals' if a town is not welcoming, and they are to travel in pairs, so that one may witness to what the other had taught. Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually put together. After the Last Supper it was Jude who asked Our Lord why he chose to reveal Himself only to the disciples. He received the reply: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:22f) The ninth name on the lists of Apostles is that of James (the son) of Alphaeus. Although most modern translations render "Judas of James" as "Judas the son of James," there has been a tendency to understand it as "Judas the brother of James" and to assume that these two apostles were brothers. This assumption in turn leads to an identification of the two with the "brothers of the Lord" of the same name. The New Testament Epistle of Jude was written by "Judas the brother of James," which could refer to either Jude. In any case, we commemorate on this day (1) Simon the Zealot, one of the original Twelve; (2) Judas of James (also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus), also one of the original Twelve; and (3) Jude (or Judas) the brother of James and author of the Epistle, without settling the question of whether (2) and (3) are the same person. The Epistle of Jude is a short letter, addressed to the Church, and warns against corrupt influences that have crept in. It includes a memorable exhortation to "contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," and an even more memorable closing: "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy, to the only wise God, or Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude is often, in popular usage, referred to as the patron of desperate causes, the "saint of last resort," the one you ask for help when all else fails. There may be several reasons for this. First, since his name is remiscent of Judas Iscariot, there is a tendency for someone asking a Christian brother now with the Lord for intercessory prayers to try one of the other apostles first. Hence, Jude has come to be called "the saint of last resort," the one whom you ask only when desperate. Another possible reason is that that Jude travelled long distances and was often far removed from his brother Apostles. In the early days of the Church, when most of the members will still alive, it was common to join in prayer. In fact to ask 'for prayers' is to ask for the other to join you in prayer. Since Jude was often absent, he would not have been asked 'for prayers' often, and hence was approached as a last resort. Of course, it is also possible that Jude had a reputation for managing difficult or seemingly impossible feats, either of strength, procurement, conversion or spirituality. As such a 'wonder-worker' he would be the logical choice to approach, even after death, with a seemingly insoluble problem.

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