I keep my socks far too long. Many of my socks have multiple holes in them, but I keep them. You may not keep your holey socks, but you probably have a favorite article of clothing. It might be a T-shirt from childhood, a jersey or uniform from school, a jacket or dress, pair of boots, heels or running shoes that holds sentimental or, in your mind, utilitarian value. We keep articles of clothing because we love them, or really the idea or memories connected to them.
In Scripture, God asks us to keep something much more valuable than articles of clothing. In our Gospel reading from Mark 13, Jesus encourages us to keep watch for his return at the end of the world with a parable, 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Jesus emphasizes keeping watch because the set time for his return has not been shared. He could return at any time, so he encourages us to always be watching. At the same time, we are not told to put on our favorite outfit, pull up a lawn chair, sit down and glue our eyes to a pair of binoculars or a telescope. Instead, we have assignments to do while we keep watch.
All our assignments come down to each of us keeping one thing. Jude encourages us in that one thing in our New Testament reading. Many of you may have heard the name Jude or memorized his name in the list of the books of the Bible, but your knowledge of who he was does not go much farther than that. No readings from Jude were included in the historic church readings, so most people have not heard a sermon from Jude. The book of Jude is a short letter with only one chapter written in the mid to late 60s AD. The name Jude comes from the Old Testament name Judah, which became Judas in the New Testament, but because of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, most have adopted the variation, Jude.
He was named after the fourth son of Jacob, later called Israel, through whom the line of the Savior was promised. King was David born in the lineage of Judah, as well as Joseph and Mary. Thus, Jesus descended from Judah. In fact, Jude is Jesus’ half-brother through Mary, and the full brother of James, the writer of one of the other New Testament books. Like James, he was an intense, passionate, blunt, eloquent, preacher and writer. An example of which is found in James 2, 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James encouraged believers to keep doing what was right in God’s eyes by loving others. Jude gave similar encouragement writing, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love.
Jude wrote to encourage believers. The opening address of his letter states, 1… To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude’s letter was sent after much of the rest of the New Testament had been written. Now, a few decades after Jesus’ resurrection, he saw a need to write his brief letter encouraging believers to keep their faith, rather than be lost to false teachings.
After his opening address, Jude wrote, 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Jude wrote to warn believers about pursuing false teachings from the ungodly who pervert God’s forgiveness by promoting immorality. Worst of all he warned against those who deny Jesus as the only way, truth and life.
The ungodliness of Jude’s day still affects us. Whether things, people, teachings, entertainment, business models, etc. we are surrounded by the ungodly. Those ungodly things that are sinister, wicked and hurtful threaten our faith, but there are other things that we deem less severe or things we quickly justify that are also ungodly and threaten our faith. Jude brings to light the danger in these things for us even though he wrote to a heavily Jewish audience. He made quick references to key individuals in the Old Testament as warnings as we read, 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. These references may not strike home with us until we are reminded what these individuals were overcome by.
Cain murdered his brother Abel, but his other sins included doubting God, anger, moping around, holding a grudge, envy, plotting revenge and lying. So, aside from the murder, we all find ourselves surrounded by and taking those feelings to heart, rather than show God’s love. And, with Balaam, we hear in Revelation 2, 14 … some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. You may not have a shrine or someone on the side, but we all fall into trusting things more than God, lusting after others and making indecent comments, rather than trusting in God and thinking wholesome thoughts. Finally, Korah challenged Aaron and Moses, essentially Old Testament Israel’s the priesthood and government, as we read in Numbers 16, he 1…became insolent 2 and rose up against Moses. And we find ourselves convicted of similar things in daydreaming, posting or talking against those in authority over us, rather than praying for them. We are surrounded by ungodliness and when we are not keeping hold on God, we find ourselves keeping hold on it.
God is able to keep us holding on through Jesus. Jude encourages us to keep what we already have. He encourages us because we are safe with God, but not safe in heaven. So, he reminds us who is with us to keep us holding on with these powerful words, 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude points to Jesus who keeps us from falling and will bring us to heaven blameless. We do not hold on to fear, but joy as we look forward to heaven. We are filled with joy even when we consider the ungodly things we fall into because Jesus will present us blameless in heaven.
It will be as if we had done nothing wrong because of what we hear in Hebrews 9, 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Jesus offered his unblemished blood on the cross for our sins and now that blood floods our consciences with his forgiveness. With the love of God that saved us, we are free to serve God and give him praise.
Jude gives us three ways to keep ourselves in God’s love. Jude connects us back to two words from his address as he encourages us, 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Keep in love and mercy Jude repeats from his opening words, 1 … To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. God called you to be his own. In other words, he loves and keeps you.
And his love and keeping are characterized by mercy. Mercy is compassion for and a desire to help the hurting and afflicted. Sin hurts and takes from us, but God’s love is all about giving to us. Jude encourages us to keep ourselves in God’s love by building yourselves up in your most holy faith through reading and hearing Scripture, praying in the Holy Spirit sharing what is on your heart with God and asking for godly solutions, and by avoiding getting caught in ungodly living while we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Keeping ourselves in the merciful love of God characterizes how we treat others. Jude gives us our assignment while we keep watch for Jesus’ return, 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. This is the change God’s love has worked in us, to live with mercy toward others. Do not leave doubters left in their doubt. You have a heart of the love of God, a heart that knows what God has done for all people. Those living with doubts are perhaps moments from the fires of hell. Proactively reach out to them. Be careful that you are not pulled away by their doubts by maintain boundaries and a clear purpose. Plan and prioritize your mercy, which does not discount the Holy Spirit giving you the words to say at the proper time. Rather, this is your new self, the reborn life of faith active in good works and spiritual life.
Our life is a balance as noted in our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 51, 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. As we keep hold of God’s love, we look toward heaven, and we show mercy to those on earth. We do not approve of sinful behaviors, but with understanding, patience, questions and listening, we direct others to God’s love, the Bible and Jesus, none of which wear out like a garment.
Many of my socks have multiple holes in them, but I keep them. We keep articles of clothing because we love them, or really the idea or memories connected to them. God wants us to keep ourselves in his love. When ungodliness tempts you, build yourself up in Bible study, prayer and in life characterized by showing mercy. God’s love outlasts any piece of clothing and saves us from ungodliness. The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ will bring you to eternal life, so keep yourselves in God’s love. Amen.
Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church
Gunnar Ledermann
I’m passionate about Rockwall’s vibrant community and actively engage with local non-profits and community organizations, including the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, the City of Rockwall, and the Downtown Rockwall Association. My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and a master’s degree in divinity. Currently serving as a pastor at Divine Peace Church in Rockwall, I also enjoy spending time with my wife, Marinda, and our three children.
