Out on the Ledge

“And have mercy on those who doubt” (v22).

You see them standing there. They hesitate. They can’t decide. They don’t know whether to go left or right. They don’t know whether to stay or go. They don’t know whether to say “yes” or “no.” They just can’t make up their mind. Jude lets us know how to deal with folks who stand at the crossroads of faith. You don’t make the decision for them. You don’t shove them in toward Jesus. Instead, show them compassion. Do you try and help them make their decision? Absolutely. But people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That’s how we should deal with doubters.

This is especially important considering the damage done by a team of false teachers. These con artists are traveling from town to town, weaseling their way into local churches. Their perverted message tears these congregations apart from the inside out (Jude 4). They’ve injected confusion among God’s people. The result is a slew of doubters. Folks who don’t know what to do with Jesus. They face the musical question asked by those great philosophers of The Clash. “Should I stay or should I go now?” Show them compassion. Show them how much you care.

Jude uses the Greek word eleao, which means to show kindness, express compassion and concern, and feel pity. But as Boston sings, “It’s more than a feeling.” (Sorry to go to the musical references twice so quickly, but that’s just how my brain works.) Don’t just feel compassion, be compassionate. Don’t just feel kindness, be kind. A warm, fuzzy feeling doesn’t do anybody any good. The Apostle Paul tells his Roman friends that we shouldn’t show mercy just because we have to. We should do it willingly and cheerfully (Rom 12:8).

We show compassion because God has shown it to us. “‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends on God, who has mercy” (Rom 9:15-16). One desperate woman knew that Jesus was the only One to turn to when her daughter was under satanic attack. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” (Mt 15:22). We’re to have mercy because God has shown us mercy. God doesn’t just have a few bucks in His mercy account that He might toss our way. Nope. Quite the contrary. He’s loaded. He’s got plenty to share. And He’s ready to share! “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5). We show kindness because God has shown us kindness. Our omniscient God didn’t just show us how much He knows. He showed us how much He cares. And He hasn’t stopped.

Jude tells us who specifically who should be the targets of our compassion. “Those who doubt” (v22). He uses a Greek word (Gr. diakrino) that means to evaluate, discern, doubt, dispute, hesitate, waver, debate, or take issue. Because of the false teachers, these folks are now having second thoughts. They’re not so sure what they believe. Jude’s other brother describes spiritual doubters like wind-driven waves. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (Gr. diakrino), for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). You know the old saying, “He who hesitates is lost.” Well, that’s why we need to get out on the ledge with them. Try to talk them down. Don’t shove them. Show compassion. Stand with them. Be there for them. 

Our author knows all about doubt. And he knows all about being shown compassion. He had serious doubts about his big Brother’s claim to be Messiah. As a matter of fact, Jesus’ whole family thought He was crazy, not Christ (Mk 3:21; 7:5). But Jesus turned out to be exactly who He said He was. And He showed His kid brother compassion. He showed him kindness. He gave him room to make his own decision. He showed Jude mercy when he doubted. And now Jude encourages us to do the same. Show them compassion. Show them how much you care.

When folks are on the ledge, go out there with them. Show them how much you care. Show them how much Jesus cares. 

Storm Surge and Shooting Stars

“Wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever” (v13).

So what in the wide world of sports do big surf, shooting stars and being afraid of the dark have in common. Well, Jude is so very glad you asked. The first two are descriptions of a crew of false teachers who have infiltrated local churches. The last is their eventual destination thanks to his big Brother. They destroy like the relentless and violent storm surge of a hurricane. They flame out like a shooting star with no lasting impact. But in the end, Jesus has a special place in hell reserved for them. And, unlike Tom Bodett, He will NOT leave the light on for them.

These spiritual snake oil salesmen are such bad news to the Good News that Jude has compared them to several infamous bad guys in the Old Testament. He goes old school because their sin is old school. He equates them to the rebellious Israelites (Num 14:22-23, 29-30, 35,37; Jude 5), the renegade angels (Gen 6:1-5; Ezek 28:14-17; Jude 6), and the Twin Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:20-33; 19:1-14, 23-28; Jude 7). But wait, there’s more. Sexual sin, authority rejected, and dignitaries dissed (Jude 8). They don’t know when to shut up (Jude10). Jude flips back into the OT one more time for terrible triple play. In verse 11, he says they’re just like Cain, the first killer (Gen 4:1-15), Balaam, the profitable prophet (Num 22-25), and Korah, the rebel leader (Num 16). You see, their sin is of biblical proportions.

Jude doesn’t stop there. He uses a maritime image by calling these con artists “wild waves of the sea” (v13). They aren’t gently lapping ripples you hear when you’re snoozing in your beach chair. The original Geek text here describes a savage, violent storm surge. This is the fury of the sea unleashed. Have you ever witness the unrelenting fury of a hurricane? It’s absolutely terrifying. The brutal winds drive the surf over the dunes. Wicked waves hammer everything in their path. The false teachers hit town with huge promises of of how their message builds up. In the end, all they door is destroy. Jesus’ little brother isn’t the first one to draw this comparison. About 700 years before, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt” (Is 57:20). The surf is definitely up. But the good news is that Christ can calm any storm.

Look up from the stormy sea to the night sky. These hucksters are just like “wandering stars” (v13). Sounds kind of romantic, doesn’t it? Well, take a closer look. The false teachers are shooting stars. They’re meteors that light up the sky and then disappear. They’re like fireworks exploding which only flame out. You know the kind of people he’s talking about. They ignite put on a dazzling show for a moment but fizzle out with no positive and lasting impact. There for a moment. Gone forever. Like a falling star. This is in huge contrast to Jesus who is the Light of the World (Jn 8:12; 9:5). He never goes out. As a matter of fact, our Savior will personally be the source of light in the New Jerusalem. “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23). Jesus never flames out.

Jude lets us know that after these false teachers burn up on reentry, they’re eventually headed for hell. “For whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever” (v13). Maybe eternal torment and damnation isn’t what he’s talking about. Maybe our buddy Jude is just turning out the lights on them. First of all, there’s the “gloom.” This is the Greek word zophos. It means thick darkness, blackness, and a condition of darkness with feelings of despair and foreboding. Then we read “darkness” (Gr. skotos). It also means the absence of light. Paul used it when writing of the utter blanket of absolute darkness before God created light (2Cor 4:6). The phrase “the gloom of darkness” literally means “the utter blackness of complete darkness.” Jude’s trying to describe the fearful darkness of eternal, conscious punishment. I’m not sure if these con artists are afraid of the dark. But they should be. They will be. Hell is hot. Forever is a long time. It’s also very, very dark.

Don’t worry. Jesus will handle these shysters. He’ll calm the storm. He’ll provide eternal light. And he’ll flip off the switch on the false teachers. Forever.