There is No Plan B: Head First Into Jude

     This week I dove into the letter of Jude. It seems like such a simple letter. It is the second to last letter in the Bible. Only one chapter and what seems like a simple read. On Monday morning with my coffee in hand, I quickly read through the 25 verses; almost in one breath. I started to close my Bible and proceed through my day; however, I felt a nudge to start again and then it hit me how much substance is just in the first verse. “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.” Almost an hour later and two cups of coffee, I found myself still intrigued with this verse.
  

     I wrote down some of my thoughts; for what they’re worth.  First of all, how humble Jude starts his letter. I found myself saying, “Jude you were not only the brother of James, but Jesus was your brother, wouldn’t you want people to know that?” I am fairly confident that if Jesus was my brother, I would want other people to know this tidbit. The thought crossed my mind, if he had Facebook, wouldn’t he list Jesus as his brother? Post pics? Status updates like, “The party really got going when Jesus turned the water into wine.”  To Jude, it was more important that people knew he was a servant of Jesus than his half-brother.  Even as a brother, he had invested himself completely into following Jesus.  Here was a man that devoted his being completely into following and serving Jesus. This is an amazing testament to the validity of Jesus being who he said he was, because Jude would have known Jesus on more subjective bases than others; being they were brothers.

     After I had processed that thought some, I moved onto a few others. I appreciate the way Jude addresses the recipients of the letter. He first says, “to those who have been called.”  What does it mean to be called? I want to be like Jude and completely vested into the call. During our family devotions this morning we talked a lot about our call and why we are followers of Jesus. I have heard it said that there is more historical proof that Jesus walked the Earth, than Alexander the Great. So there is no doubt that Jesus really walked the face of the earth, but was he who he claimed to be; the only Son of God.  By absolute faith I choose to say, yes. Either he was completely the Son of God, a blatant liar, or clinically insane. Since I choose to believe that Jesus is the only Son of God, then, I choose to believe his teachings and commands. In following Jesus all the pressure is off of me, because I can direct people to what Jesus said; not what I said. This allows me to be completely entrusted to Christianity. The problem is that my actions don’t always measure up to my call. Rather than sulk in my failures, I call upon the one who is able to rescue me in my weakness. It is not a license for sin; it is a reliance on His grace.

     After called, Jude refers to them as those loved by God the Father.  It is a great assurance to know that I have someone who loves me unconditionally with a perfect love. My life revolves around my family. I adore my wife. She is amazing in so many different ways. I could not be prouder of my kids and the young adults they are becoming. I pray daily for each of them and pour out everything I have into helping them be successful. The problem is that this is not a perfect love. I mess up. I say the wrong things, get angry unjustly, and the list goes on and on. The love that my Father has for me is a perfect love. There is never a time where he messes up or disciplines me for the wrong motive.  Even though there are situations that I don’t understand or can’t wrap my brain around. There is great comfort in the fact that I am perfectly loved by my Father in heaven.

     Lastly, Jude use the word “kept” by Jesus. I was now stuck on a single word. I couldn’t shake it for most of the day. It is such a reassurance to know that there is nothing that can take me from the hand of God. There is no place that I can wonder or mistake that I can make that will take me from my God. It was paid for on a cross at Calvary. In Romans chapter 8 we receive this incredible promise. Verse 38 says, “and I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from Gods love.” The list of things that can’t separate us from God’s love include things like death, life, angels, demons, fears for today, worries about tomorrow and even includes the powers of hell.  I am kept!

 

     It has been a two day study in the letter of Jude and I have made it one verse. I am excited to see what is to be revealed in the next 24 verses. I know that it does come with a warning to false leaders and teachers that can creep into the church and turn God’s grace and love into a “sloppy agape” type of grace and love. I am confident that his love is real, as well as, his discipline.