As a health coach who follows Jesus, I LOVED this exchange in the season finale!!!
I think it speaks to something that actually hinders a lot Christians from prioritizing their health.
I totally relate to Simon the Zealot, and I also understand where John is coming from.
It’s actually funny that John says that what Simon is doing “smacks of Hellenism”. Hellenism was the marrying of Jewish and Greek culture. In Hellenism a the aesthetic of the body was ideal, whereas in Judaism, the physical body was seen as a partner with the soul.
John was suggesting that Simon was obsessing over his body from a, to use our current language, “shallow, looks only” perspective. He felt that Simon was focusing too much on his physique and not enough on the mind or spirit.
Simon, though, was emphasizing that a healthy body is essential for a healthy mind, which actually IS quite Jewish in nature. There is not a “flesh is bad, spirit is good” dynamic in Jewish belief. That would be a very Greek perspective.
The Jewish perspective on the body is that it is to be cared for because it is the home of the soul - which likely informed the phrase “your body is a temple” used in Paul’s writings to the church of Corinth.
All that to say, I think the modern Body of Christ has missed the reality that the Man we follow spent a SIGNIFICANT portion of His public ministry HEALING bodies.
If our physical bodies were not as important or in some way separate from our spiritual well being, I think Jesus would have prioritized His time differently.
One of my big motivators for doing what I do is to see the Body of Christ comprised bodies that are HEALTHY and able to carry out their God-given calling.
The majority of prayer requests for healing are for lifestyle induced diseases. I say that not as a “this is their fault” message - NOT AT ALL. Rather, I say this as a wake up call and a message of HOPE that we can LEARN, TRANSFORM, and create a different culture and narrative for our congregations and communities.
That is why I created a program that is HOLISTIC. I coach on nutrition and exercise, but ALSO on the power of mindset and partnering with God’s grace in creating life long health.
If you want to learn more about that program, feel free to reach out. Otherwise, I hope this provided a chuckle, some hope, and inspiration to create a healthy lifestyle in partnership with our incredible God!