Hey, Jude!
One of the recurring themes in our weekly Bible study is the nature of God through the eyes of Scripture. What gets us engaged is Judgement.
Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, that the Lord, who once for all saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great Day. - Jude 1:5-6
In Jude, we waste no time getting to the heart of the matter. God saves those who believe and kills those who don't.
Is that the God we think we know?
In other words, what has changed? Is the God of these stories a meaner, more vengeful God than the one Jesus talked about in his parables?
No matter what nature or natures we prescribe to Jesus, I think we have to admit that he had a unique perspective on God. And yet, he was a Jew and he quoted the prophets, read from the Torah in Temple. He was devout, a believer.
Given all that, the loving God, the father he spoke of had to somehow be the same as the God of Isaac and Jacob. Isn't that amazing?
Maybe it is no different from how we perceive each other.
The same person I think is evil or nasty is beloved by many others. How can that be? Am I wrong or is everyone else?
If I have trouble getting out of my own prejudices, stereotypes, and judgments, if I can't separate my emotional view from the reality of a situation, how can I have a true perspective on the nature of God?
When something horrific happens, I may turn to God for a variety of reasons. I may want help understanding and dealing with the situation, or I might turn in anger to blame and curse him.
Both reactions are understandable. I am human, and emotional creature with a dual nature, both physical, instinctive and rational. These two natures can be, and probably frequently are, in conflict.
But I am also a spiritual being, and that makes a difference in how I perceive the world.
Jesus showed us we have the ability to stop before acting or speaking. As he bent down and scribbled in the dust, so can we hold our tongues and thoughts before making a judgment. In the end, we might refrain from judging altogether, and I think that is the message Jude is trying to share with us.
Remember, he says, you have been saved from oppression and death. Think about that and be thankful for it. It is a gift of grace. Use it.
More to come...
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