Bitter zeal and good zeal (as outlined by Saint Benedict) are often preceded by a third which, we might term “untested zeal.” James and John exemplify this zeal with their brash insistence that they were able to receive the baptism with which Jesus was to be baptized and drink the chalice he was to drink. Time would prove them right but not before their untested zeal had undergone severe testing and, by the grace of God, was transformed into that good zeal that would empower James to lay down his life in witness to Christ and John accept persecution and exile. And whereas untested zeal can, with testing, become bitter or good, it can also just fizzle out over time and leave the heart cold and empty. It is thus crucial to keep careful watch over our hearts and not become careless so that when trials come, our zeal may emerge as purified gold from the furnace—tested and not found wanting, humble and not arrogant, good and not bitter.
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