Jude talks about selfish shepherds in today's passage. In the Bible we often find religious leaders referred to as "shepherds". They are supposed to lead the flock (the congregation, the body of believers) in ways that are righteous. But unfortunately this isn't always the case.
The Lord had harsh words for the religious leaders of Israel who were not properly shepherding the people, "'Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!' declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: 'Because you have scattered My flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:1-2) In Jude's day there were those who had crept into the church with false doctrine, and some of these people had risen to positions of power in the church. This gave them an opportunity to lead the church members astray. This is something we have to look out for in our own times as well.
The Lord rebuked the religious leaders who were only out for themselves, "Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" (Ezekiel 34:2b) In Jude's day there were men who preached the gospel for monetary gain. They charged admission to those who wanted to hear them, plus they exploited their followers monetarily so they could live lavishly. We've seen the same things happen in modern times. There have been unscrupulous evangelists who have persuaded people to give up everything they have to contribute to the ministry. Some of these evangelists preached the true gospel message and some preached only pretty words. But either way, their goal was to make themselves rich, not to lead people to Christ.
Jude promises his readers that God's judgment is coming against those who have selfishly shepherded the flock. God is not going to allow such behavior to go unpunished. "These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm---shepherds who feed only themselves." (Jude 1:12a) At communal church meals or when observing the Lord's Supper, these unscrupulous shepherds are sitting with the flock as if they are just like everyone else. They talk the talk, but their hearts are far from the Lord. They are affiliated with the church to fulfill their own needs, not to fellowship with or minister to other believers.
These pretenders go through the motions of being alive and active members of the church, but they are spiritually dead on the inside. They can't help others because they are unregenerated themselves. "They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted---twice dead." (Jude 1:12b) When a farmer's crop needs rain, he rejoices when he sees clouds forming. But if those clouds bring no rain, his hopes are dashed. Clouds without rain are no help to dry ground, and people who only pretend to be spiritual are no help to those who thirst for the Lord.
We know that those who have chosen to remain separated from the Lord in life are going to be eternally separated from Him after death. God isn't going to force anyone to be near Him who doesn't want to be near Him. But just as there are different rewards for the righteous, I think there are different levels of punishment for those who reject the Lord. The person who simply never wanted to know Him may just experience an eternal existence far from Him. But the person who not only never knew Him, but also prevented others from knowing Him, may face the worst judgment of all. Jude seems to be suggesting this when he says, "They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever." (Jude 1:13)
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