The Imposter Leader (Jude 1:8-11)

So do the shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels, and thus their brightness is eclipsed (Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge)

Dual Natures

The Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest, Hungary, is a masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture. Opened in 1902, it stands proudly on the banks of the beautiful Danube River, is one of the tallest buildings in Hungary, and inspires a sense of sheer awe at mankind's creative ability. During my visit in 2019, I was overwhelmed by its beauty, its design, its symmetry, and the scope of this magnificent building. The wing facing the Danube River is 1, 889 feet long and the rigid façade of the building presents a satisfying contrast to the fluidity of the river flowing past.

As I walked along the river front, my curiosity was piqued by seemingly random pairs of shoes placed alongside the river bank in front of this World Heritage Site. These iron shoes expressed the fashion of a by-gone era and appeared abandoned, as if their owners stepped out of them and simply walked away. This is, in fact, exactly what happened. Their owners stepped out of the original shoes and were shot into the Danube by the fascist Arrow Cross militia. The owners were Jewish. Their shoes were left behind so the militia members could sell them on the black market after murdering their Jewish owners. These iron shoes were created and placed here in 2005 as a memorial to those who lost their lives in Europe's darkest moment.

This contrast between humanity's greatest achievements and most grotesque actions aptly illustrates the dual nature within every human being. Sometimes, people are no better than animals. Other times, people exquisitely demonstrate that we all are, in fact, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The question becomes, which nature is most prevalent in our own lives?

The Irreligious Leader

Unfortunately, Christian leaders are not exempt from this dichotomous nature and Jude's concern for his readers is that they will be unable to differentiate between leaders driven by their inner animal and those driven by the inherent image of the Divine. The majority of his letter states in the clearest of terms what his readers are to be on the lookout for, knowing that false teachers/leaders will invade (or "slip in," as he writes) the local churches. In verses 4-16, he outlines four characteristics. Previous posts have looked at the Sexy and I Know It leader and the Insulated from Reality leader. This post concerns itself with the teacher who leads a la Cain (Genesis 4), Balaam (Numbers 22-24), or Korah (Numbers 16). While postured as leaders within the Church, these are, in fact, irreligious, devoid of any actual spiritual practice or belief. As a matter of fact, Jude labels them as ones who insult the spiritual! Jude paints a picture of leaders who present themselves as Christian, but are in fact antagonistic to the faith. He gives his readers three attitudes of the irreligious leader:

1. They are imposters;

2. They are animals;

3. They model the worst of humanity.

Imposters

Hamlet, the hero of Shakespeare's play by the same name, makes this statement to his friend--“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" (Act 1, Scene 5). Horatio is stunned at the appearance of Hamlet's father's ghost. None of his vast studies have prepared him for such an event! Thus, Hamlet's statement, which rings as true for many today as it did in the 1st Century. The spiritual world simply does not exist for some, especially those who are tangible and down-to-earth (literally!) to the core. Yet, the spiritual aspect is the only explanation for what makes mankind different from the animals. For humans, this spiritual side is the "soul." Without a soul, there is no expectation for humans to treat each other with respect. Arrow Cross militia members shooting Jewish people into the Danube cannot be held to any kind of standard. There is no right or wrong because this world is all there is. Only the creation of a soul in the body of mankind causes us to be "made in the image of God." Of course, it is one thing to disbelieve the spiritual side of life, and quite another to profess belief while contemptuously insulting that side in the same breath. And this is exactly the charge Jude levies against these false teachers.

In 1:8, Jude writes that "these dreamers . . . insult the glorious ones." "To insult" is to "make a contemptuous or rude remark or gesture" (dictionary.com). Jude does not give an example of these insults; he only says they are made towards the "glorious ones." By this, he means the angels and other spiritual beings (to include Jesus Christ!). And actually, there is no indication that Jude only means "good" angels versus "bad" angels! To insult spiritual beings in a rude or contemptuous manner is disrespectful. To highlight this, Jude speaks of an incident in verse 9 that is not found in the canonical Christian Scriptures, but rather in the apocryphal Assumption of Moses. In this book, or at least from the scraps still in existence, it appears that Satan is arguing with the Archangel Michael over possession of Moses' body. Michael himself dare not show disrespect to Satan, but rather turns him over to the sovereignty of God.

These false leaders, so quick to claim a spiritual authority, reject it all the same. They deny the Divine spark in creation. They deny that which separates human beings from animals. They must even deny the Spirit of God Himself! They are imposters seeking their own materialistic glorification and not the sanctification of the believers or the glorification of the Father! A mark of a false leader is the blatant disrespect (contempt!) shown towards authorities and attention put upon himself.

Animals

In 1:10, Jude illustrates another characteristic of the irreligious leader. He rails against, rants against, and calumniates against that which he does not understand! Why? Because falsely accusing others draws a crowd and feeds into mankind's worst nature. We are far too ready to believe the worst of others (spiritual or material). The false leader doesn’t actually have to prove that what he says is true; he simply has to tap into the animalistic nature and present the others as a threat to one's existence! The false leader understands this instinctively and plays into this fear that everything is truly a threat and one's way of existence is at risk!

My dog, Milo, was super friendly and loved people, especially if they had a cheese stick! He would run with you, lick you, and be your best friend! This, of course, was so long as he didn't feel threatened. Then, no matter your intentions, he was all teeth (cheese stick notwithstanding, of course). At my sister's outdoor wedding, we placed Milo in a fenced-in area while the festivities occurred. One young man, as he walked by Milo's area, put his hand through the fence to pet him. His whole intention was to love on Milo just a bit. Milo promptly bit him! Why? His animal instinct was to defend his territory, not to find out first if this young man was a friend or foe. False teachers do the same. Without understanding and without thought, they simply attack and defend. It's all they understand. A mark of the false leader is that he brings out the animal nature in his followers, and not the godly nature.

The Worst

Jude wraps up these verses with Old Testament examples of irreligious leaders who lean into their animal side and not the Spirit of God.

• In Genesis 4, Cain, the brother of Abel, becomes infuriated that God accepts Abel's sacrifice and not his own. Therefore, he does what many older brothers wish they could, and murders Abel in cold blood. When Jude says these false teachers "have traveled down Cain's path," he speaks of the anger, callous disregard for his brother, pride, and jealousy which ultimately lead to Abel's death.

  
  

• Balaam (Numbers 22-24) is requested to place a curse upon the people of God. He seeks permission from God and is promptly told, "No." He is requested again and receives the same answer. A third time requested, and this time allowed to go so long as he says only what God tells him. The text indicates a large sum of money is involved …. Later on in the Book of Revelation (2:14), Balaam is accused of advising the enemy king to entice God's people into idolatry and human sacrifice! "Balaam's error" is one marked by greed, leading people into immorality, and a love of money.

  
  

• Korah (Numbers 16) is a special example. His sin was to entice 250 leaders into believing that Moses had no more authority than anyone else! His argument was that all were equally holy and therefore should have an equal voice. Such an argument is soothing to the human soul. The devil's temptation of Eve was that eating the fruit made her equal to God. Part of the devil's temptation to Jesus in the desert was equality with God the Father. We humans LOVE . . . LOVE . . . LOVE the idea that all are equal and no one else is "better" than any other. And while we are all equally valuable in God's eyes, He does set up hierarchies. Korah's rebellion is grumbling against God's appointed leader and attempting to usurp that leadership role in his lust for power.

Conclusion

False teachers are imposters who lean into their basest natures and follow that path to destruction. Far too often, these false teachers are allowed to lead, as well. Jude's advice? Be on guard against these fakers. They will only lead to destruction--both theirs and yours. What is the best way to recognize a false leader? Ask yourself this question--"Is this leader leading me to my baser nature or my better angel?" The answer to this question will tell you the truth.