by Fr. Richard Copsey, O.Carm

Saint Jude is mentioned very rarely in the gospels and on only one occasion does he actually speak. It would be easy to suppose that Saint Jude was only a minor figure in the life of Jesus but this is to misunderstand the way the gospels were written. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their lives of Jesus long after he had died and risen again. The first to write was Mark and his gospel is thought to have been written sometime around 60 AD or shortly after, that is nearly 30 years after the Resurrection. Luke and Matthew wrote their Gospels a little later, probably around 70 AD and they took advantage of Mark’s Gospel, copying many of the accounts of Jesus’s preaching and miracles - adapting and rewriting them, of course, in their own style. John’s Gospel comes last, around 80 AD or even later and was written, not by John himself, but by one of his followers who collected together all the stories about Jesus which John had recounted to his Christian followers.

Each of the Evangelists wrote the life of Jesus in their own style and used a variety of sources for their information. Luke and Matthew had copies of Mark’s Gospel before them but also they shared another source - a collection of the sayings of Jesus - which has now been lost. Also, the world at that time was a very oral one, not many people could read or write. So events were remembered and passed down by word of mouth. Those who had known Jesus while he was alive would have shared their memories with others interested in the Christian faith - and these would have passed these memories on to their friends. Of course, in such a culture, stories can become embellished and more elaborate as time goes on. My father who was a great storyteller, used to drive buses in London during the Second World War and his accounts of his experiences during the air raids over London grew better and more dramatic as time passed. At the time the Evangelists were writing, there would still have been some oral memories circulating in small Christian groups, in families and in the villages where Jesus visited.

It also needs to be remembered that the Evangelists are not writing biographies of Jesus in the same way as a modern historian would write a biography. They do not mention what happened each day, what Jesus had for breakfast, or where he went for lunch, all such details are left unstated. The Evangelist focuses on what will help the reader to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, so the focus is on the miracles worked by Jesus, his teaching, the parables, etc. and of course, his crucifixion and resurrection as the final climax.

So, where does Saint Jude come into this scene. Firstly, he is not just a passive bystander, listening to Jesus and being part of the crowd. He was selected by Jesus as an apostle so he must have had a special role. Why apostles? Well, when Jesus returned to Galilee after being baptised by John, he began his mission by going into his home synagogue and, after reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah, he starts to preach. At first, the people were amazed that he preached with such authority and their amazement increased as he began to heal people who came to him. So the crowds flocked in from far and wide to hear his preaching and to hope for a cure from their illnesses. These crowds grew so great that it is recorded that Jesus and his disciples couldn’t find time even to eat a meal. Even Jesus’ mother and his relatives came from Nazareth worried about his behaviour and the pressure on him.

At a practical level, the solution to the crowds was to get matters better organised and it is here that the apostles come into their own. Jesus didn’t have the time or energy to do everything himself so the apostles, led by Peter, became Jesus’ support team. As Jesus moved around, some of the apostles would be sent on ahead to the next village to inform them that Jesus was coming, to choose a suitable site where Jesus could talk to the people, an open grassy space, with a mound or platform for Jesus to be visible to all, and so on. Also, there would be a need for somewhere for Jesus and his disciples to sleep afterwards, and to see if there was some wealthy person who could provide a meal for Jesus and his companions. It is worth noting that there are references to a group of women who assisted Jesus by providing funds and looking after meals, etc.

When Jesus himself arrived at the village and the crowds began to start gathering, the apostles would have had a role in shepherding the people to places where they could sit and keeping the place clear where Jesus was to stand. When Jesus arrived, the apostles would have cleared his path through the crowd, guarded him from those rushing to touch him and then, while he was preaching, would have carefully positioned themselves to prevent the crowds from closing in on Jesus. 

In modern times, the nearest equivalent to the apostles would be the roadies who look after travelling performers. For instance, when singers such as Dolly Parton go on a tour, some of the roadies will go on ahead to look after the practical arrangements for the next show, to distribute publicity, prepare the stage and the lighting, etc. Others will travel with Dolly Parton herself, seeing to the travel arrangements, keeping track of all the luggage, allocating cars, etc. as well as those helping Dolly in her performances such as hairdressers, wardrobe, make-up, etc. Modern performers are surrounded by a large and highly capable team of assistants.

 Saint Jude as an apostle was chosen for this role not simply for his faith and belief but because of his talents and ability, as someone who could be part of a team, helping, assisting and supporting Jesus. Not as a silent observer but as an active supporter, helping Jesus to spread the Good News and the coming of the kingdom.

However, the apostles were not simply a support group, they were being prepared for a more creative role in spreading the Good News. Once Jesus felt confident in their ability, he sent the apostles out in pairs to preach the Good News themselves. He gave them instructions how to behave, to travel lightly without spare clothes, to depend on the charity of others for where to stay and how to deal with any rejection. This was training for their future apostolates. After the Resurrection, the preaching role would be passed on to the apostles. Saint Jude himself would have played a significant role in this, one assumes, although sadly no records of preaching survive. There are legends that he spread the gospel in Eastern Europe which would be quite logical if he had followed in the footsteps of Saint Paul and made his way through Turkey and up through Greece. Whatever happened Saint Jude surely showed himself as a capable and able helper for Jesus and that talent would have stood him in good stead as he sought to pass on the Good News which he had received from Jesus himself.

This reflection was originally published in the 2022 Guild Magazine