Justice 19 - Concern for Lost Sheep

by Amazing 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Amazing

  Justice 19 – Concern for Lost Sheep

  Jesus said, “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine sheep, and go to the mountains, and seek that which goes astray? And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray." - Matt 18:12-13

  Unlike my first 18 Justice accounts, this story was relayed to me by the JW man who helped to become a JW – call him Elder F. He is still serving as an Elder. He related to me that when he was sent to a certain congregation by the Society, he discovered several irregularities. One of those was a man who had been “Privately Reproved” and given restrictions.

  The man had been faithfully attending meetings each and every meeting, studied and prepared. He went out in service frequently ... and when he approached the Elders to have he privileges restored, he was told to wait on Jehovah, and that the Elders would contact him when the time was right. So, week after week, month after month, and year after year passed. But, as he waited on Jehovah, no Elders ever asked him to meet to discuss full spiritual restoration.

  When Elder F arrived, he was merely there to add more help to an already functioning congregation, but short on Elders. He did not at first try to investigate any matters, but kept his ‘eye’ open to see how things were. One day he approached Brother Restricted and asked why he never commented at meetings – and Brother Restricted stated that he would be glad to comment, but he was waiting on Jehovah to lift his restrictions. When Elder F inquired about how long he had been on restrictions, Brother Restricted said about 6 years.

  Elder F immediately talked with the other Elders and discovered that they had simply “forgotten” about Brother restricted, and never thought about getting back to him so he could be fully restored spiritually.

  I asked Elder F what the offense was, but he said that he didn’t know, and the other Elders didn’t remember. But he thought that it was not very serious. Elder F spoke glowingly of Brother Restricted willingness to wait on Jehovah, but had little to say about the Spiritual Shepherds who forgot all about the one who went astray, as they were too busy tending to the ninety-nine. – Amazing
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  josephus

  ha

  i remember the same thing.

  i was 14. i was restricted for 1and a half years, because i sometimes wore cords to the meetings.

  noone told me, till i asked and because i just assumed they were very good guys took me,,,

  you guessed it 1 and a half years.

  regards

  josephus
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  belbab

  Amazing,

  This truly is an amazing story. I have often contemplated the text you quoted above. I often wondered why the shepherd would leave ninety nine, and go and search for the lost one. Wouldn't the ninety nine be in danger of being unprotected. I do not believe it is only for completion, to round off the number to one hundred as the WT has published.

  No, I believe the shepherd must go an seek the lost one, because that one has the key to the shepherds failure to be a perfect shepherd. Somehow the shepherd did not see to the needs of the lost one and the lost one had to leave and got lost. By seeking and communicating with the lost one, the shepherd sees himself in a mirror and then can make adjustments in his own course of conduct.

  Your relating of this incident demonstrates clearly whether the elders who forgot and were unaware of what was taking place before their very eyes demonstrates they were failures as shepherds.

  belbab
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  Pathofthorns

  Stories such as this are rather extreme and I would have to say would be few and far between. Elders are often incompetent and can be spiteful, but from what I have seen, instances like this would be extremely rare, especially these days.

  Path
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  Makena1

  Interesting story Amazing. Reminded me of a bible student that I had who moved away to a new congregation. "Progressed" well, lots of hours, talks, made MS and then due to severe family problems divorced his wife. Elder body was split on the scriptural basis of the divorce. Long story short, removed as MS and put on private restrictions - no prayer, bible reading only etc. Two years later, and average of 30 hours a month in service, he asked to aux pioneer and was rejected. Was told the "conscience of the body" would not allow it.
  Anyone else run into this "conscience of the body (BOE)" thing before?

  Mak
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  jst2laws

  Hello Makena1
  Quote: “Anyone else run into this "conscience of the body (BOE)" thing before”

  Yes, too often. Usually in a response from the service department to a letter from the local body questioning how to handle a ‘conscience’ matter. The concept is touched upon in the following quote.
  
  *** w82 7/15 25 Benefiting From Your God-given Conscience ***
  15 Was this ‘a matter of conscience’ for private decision? No. Even if an engaged couple’s consciences would permit something excessive or outrageous, the collective conscience of the elders could not be ignored. While not wanting to impose their personal tastes, they have at heart the peace, harmony and spirituality of the whole congregation. And they should be conscientiously aiding persons to ‘know how to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is a pillar and support of the truth.’—1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 10:31.
  
  So the “collective conscience” of the body overrules the right of individuals to make choices in the name of the “peace, harmony, and spirituality of the whole congregation.” The theoretical bases is that “in God’s household” their ‘collective conscience’ rules and the body can tell people “how to conduct themselves”.

  So Paul said “you were called to freedom” and we should train ourselves to “perceive right from wrong” (Gal 5:1 & Heb 5:14) but the WT and the ‘collective conscience’ (no scriptural ref) of the local body of elders defy these scriptural objectives.

  Jst2laws
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  LoneWolf

  Pathofthorns --- Sorry, but no, it is not all that uncommon. I've seen numerous cases like that myself.

  Perhaps the worst case was my next door neighbor. Her husband was disabled and she needed to provide some income, so she accepted an offer to open a health food store with a worldly friend of hers. She was disfellowshipped for doing it.

  The store didn't last that long, and she soon applied for reinstatement. More than ten years later she was still waiting for an answer to the request. She'd probably still be waiting if I hadn't raised hell about it.

  LoneWolf
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  Londo111

  marked