An older sisters invited me on a study yesterday. She wanted me to join them because I was a missionary. The woman has been studying over a year. The study was about Jesus being qualified to be a good ruler. He showed love to all, sinners, tax collectors, children, everyone. The sister talked about how Jesus always loved everyone, etc, etc. I made several comments about how tax collectors were despised at that time, and how Jesus didnt care what the Pharisees thought. The paragraph was talking about how we should imitate Jesus love. So since I had made all these supportive comments, I made one more. I said:
"Yes, and nowadays, we imitate Jesus and we treat everyone alike. Unless they are disfellowshipped or excommunicated. Then we don't talk to them at all."
The study looked surprised and she said, "What do you mean?" So I explained to her that since she has been studying a year, its good to know that. I explained how it is a loving arrangement to help the person to repentance. The sister cut in and tried to explain to the study about how it helps the person. When she was finished I said that those are the only ones we don't talk to, we don't even say hello. So the study said, "Hold on here. Wait. What is this now?" So we explained again, we stayed over two hours, and I explained how we can't say hello to those who are unrepentant sinners. And also that we don't tell this to students too early because they may not understand. But it is a loving arrangement. And I explained how we limit our association with worldly people, people not Witnesses. I told her that Jesus could do it, because he was perfect, but we can't. We told her how it is a loving arrangement. She said finally, "Well, I will have to get my head around that."
After the study the sister said that she doesnt usually bring that up. So I told her that I learned when I was a missionary to bring things up after a few months so the study knows what they are getting into. Otherwise, its not fair to someone who may have a hard time avoiding sin. And we want to have a student that knows everything that we know, right? We are not hiding anything because we are the truth.
The sister said well, the study was interesting.
BF