Calling the Wambulance

“These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage” (v16).

Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! Everybody knows the annoying sound of the Wambulance. Yeah, I’m talking about the rescue squad for self-consumed complainers. Jude pulls no punches and calls whine-1-1 on the false teachers who’ve infiltrated the local churches. All they do is gripe, complain, brag, and blow smoke up people’s skirts to get what they want. So Jesus’ kid brother calls the Wambulance.

Jude calls it like it is. These hucksters are “grumblers” (Gr. goggustes). This Greek term describes a murmurer or complainer. You know the type. They speak in hushed tones and whispers. They quietly make it clear to everyone around them that they are victims. They don’t go to the source of their problem. Grumblers mount a whisper campaign against their enemy. There’s just one problem. That’s exactly what Jesus’ opposition did (Jn 6:41). Our Savior went so far as to tell His own followers to quit the whining. “Jesus answered them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves’” (Jn 6:43). Moaning and groaning have been a big part of God’s people for centuries. It happened while they wandered in the desert (Ex 16:7-9; Num 14:27-29; 1Cor 10:10). And now a posse of false teachers have weaseled their way into local churches. They tear fellowships apart with rumor and innuendo at the water cooler. That’s when Jude calls the Wambulance. 

The con artists are just grumbling under their breath, they’re also “malcontents” (v16). The term here (Gr. mempsimoiros) paints an ugly portrait of one who complains about their situation, somebody who is dissatisfied with life, a constant blamer, a faultfinder, and a complainer. They’re completely dissatisfied. Just like Mick Jagger’s been singing for decades, “I can’t get no…satisfaction!” They’re just like Cain, Balaam, and Korah (Jude 11). That’s not exactly the sort of folks you want to be compared to. The glass isn’t half full. It’s half empty and somebody’s going to come by and knock it over. This is greed, pure and simple. You don’t care how much you have. You just want more. In particular, you want more than the next guy. Just in case you missed that whole greed thing, Jude clues us in that the false teachers are “following their own selfish desires” (v16). They only want what they want. They have absolutely no concern for anybody else.

Over the course of his amazing life, the Apostle Paul learned the lesson of godly contentment. He eventually came to know how to be content in every situation (Phil 4:11-13). He grew to be totally satisfied in his relationship with the resurrected Rabbi. The man from Tarsus told his friends in Philippi that everything else in his life was a big steaming pile compared to knowing Jesus (Phil 3:8). That’s one of the most convicting questions I have to ask myself: Is Jesus enough for me? Man, I don’t even like typing those words. I have to remind myself everyday that all I ever really need and want is in Him. I’m not all that different from the false teachers. Better call a second Wambulance!

The false teachers make sure everybody knows just how very special they are. Jude calls them “loud-mouthed boasters” (v16). The original text can be literally translated as saying “their mouth speaks great swelling.” In other words, what they have to say is bloated beyond belief. These arrogant braggarts constantly want everyone’s attention and adoration. “Look at me!” they pompously shout. They fill the air with words that are spiritually bankrupt. They sound great but have no lasting substance. Clearly Jesus’ little brother and the leader of the Twelve are talking about the same team of spiritual con artists. “For speaking load boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error” (2Pet 2:18). Do we really need a refresher in what God says about bragging blowhards? Nah, didn’t think so.

And if being whiners, complainers, self-seekers and braggarts isn’t bad enough, they have one more trick up their slimy sleeve. They’re “showing favoritism to gain advantage” (v16). The false teachers have a particular knack for figuring out who they needed to butter up. They’re looking for leverage. They’re looking for an advantage. They’re great at playing politics. The Apostle Paul had a particular bur in his saddle about these kinds of spiritual snake oil salesmen. “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Rom 16:17-18). These false teachers may not know much about the Gospel but they know how to play the game to their advantage.

We could go on firing flaming arrows at these infiltrators but what good would that really do. Clearly they display qualities that are destructive to the body of Christ. So let’s turn it around for a moment. Let’s look in the mirror and see if we’re guilty of these charges. 

Do I grumble? Do I mutter under my breath then things don’t go my way? Clearly the Bible teaches that if I have a problem with someone, I need to talk to them directly. If I’m griping about a leader WHO IS NOT IN SIN, I need to submit to authority and be a good follower. Am I complainer? Am I constantly finding fault in everyone around me? I need to remember that every last one of us is in desperate need of a Savior. Am I only worried about what I want? Do I have an “I” problem? Jesus reminds us that the best way to finish first is to finish last. Am I a loud mouth braggart who calls attention myself? Last and certainly not least, do I stroke the folks who can do me the most good? Do I ignore those who can’t help me? Scripture is pretty clear that God certainly doesn’t play favorites (Acts 10:34). If it makes you feel any better, I don’t like anything of these questions either.

Check out the Message’s take on this verse. “These are the ‘grumpers’ the bellyachers, grabbing for the biggest piece of the pie, talking big, saying anything that will get them ahead” (v14 The Message). Don’t worry, the Wambulance should be arriving at any moment.