The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Jude, the Servant of Jesus Christ
Jude is the final epistle of the New Testament to start with reference to being “the bond-servant of Jesus Christ”. He also calls himself the “brother of James”. The author of Jude, then, was also the half-brother of Jesus. Jude does not directly cite his family relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead he connects himself with the leader of the church at Jerusalem who happens to also be his brother James.
Little is known about Jude, but his epistle warns of false prophets, not by their deceptive philosophies paraded as Scriptural truth, but by their depraved lifestyles. Besides greed and sexual debauchery, Jude includes fake news, “these speak evil of those things which they know not” (vs. 10), in his list of the evil in which these people engage.
In the final paragraph of the letter (vss. 20-25), however, Jude talks about what the lives of “those that are sanctified in God, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (vs. 1) should be. Like a breath of fresh, cleansing air he presents the antidote for his fellow servants of God to remain unpolluted by the wickedness of the imposters in their midst.
“But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference. Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
It is, in the final analysis, God who does the protecting of His servants. As the analogy of Psalm 123:2 confirms, our responsibility is to “look” for His mercy: “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God until He have mercy upon us.”
Jude’s final and magnificent proclamation of worship and adoration in verses 24-25 supersedes all the evil he had to articulate earlier in his letter: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”
Update/Prayer Request: Dan did not have an infusion yesterday because he continues to be so ill. The PA now thinks it may be a bacterial infection developed out of the initial side effects. After lab results Dan will hopefully have a prescription that will work for him. Thank God he did feel well enough to attend our newest grandson’s baby dedication on Sunday. This week and next he has a demanding schedule of rehearsals and performances for commitments he made before the side effects began to impact him so acutely. Please pray for continued strength for him and effective rest during each day.
