1. What is one reason Jesus said that his disciples are like sheep?
Jesus compared the bond between himself and his disciples to that between a shepherd and his sheep (John 10:14). And the comparison is very apt, because the sheep know their shepherd and respond to his voice. A tourist saw this with his own eyes. He recounted, “We wanted to film some sheep and tried to get them to come over, but they didn't follow us because they didn't know our voice. Then a young man appeared, who was his pastor. He had barely started calling them when they followed him."
2, 3. (a) How do Jesus' disciples show that they listen to his voice? b) What will we see in this article and the next?
What happened to that tourist reminds us of what Jesus said his sheep, that is, his disciples, would do. He said, “They will listen to my voice” (John 10:16). But Jesus is in heaven. So how can we hear it? One way is by doing what he taught us (Matt. 7:24, 25).
In this article and the next, we will give attention to some of the teachings of Jesus. As we will see, Jesus taught us that we must stop doing certain things and that we must do others. First, let's discuss two things that the fine pastor tells us to stop doing.
“STOP BEING EXCESSIVELY WORRIED”
4. According to Luke 12:29, what can cause us to be “excessively worried”?
(Read Luke 12:29). Jesus told his disciples to stop being “overly concerned” about getting what is necessary to live. And we know that this advice is always wise and useful. Although we want to obey him, sometimes it is not easy. Why?
5. Why are some brothers very worried?
Some brothers may live very worried about getting food, clothing and shelter. Perhaps the economic situation in your country is very bad. They may find it difficult to earn enough money for their family. Perhaps the one who supported the family has died and the others have been left without financial support. And the COVID-19 pandemic has left many jobless and without income (Eccl. 9:11). If we have been through any of these or other difficulties, how can we follow Jesus' advice to stop worrying?
6. Explain what happened to the apostle Peter on a certain occasion.
On one occasion, the apostle Peter and the other apostles were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee in a storm when they saw Jesus walking on the water. Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." When Jesus said “Come!”, “Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. But, looking at the force of the wind, he was afraid. And, as he began to sink, he cried out: 'Lord, save me!' Jesus “stretched out his hand” and saved him. Note that Peter managed to walk on the rough sea while he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus; but, when he looked at the storm, fear and doubts invaded him, and he began to sink (Matt. 14: 24-31).
7. What lesson does Peter's example teach us?
What happened to Peter teaches us a lesson. When he got out of the boat and started walking on the water, he didn't think he would get distracted and start sinking. His goal was to get to where Jesus was, but he didn't make it because he looked away into the storm. Sure, we can't walk on water, but we do face problems that test our faith. If we lose sight of Jehovah and his promises, we will begin to sink spiritually. Whatever storms come our way, let us continue to focus on Jehovah and his ability to help us. How can we achieve it?
8. What will help us not worry too much about material needs?
One thing that will help us is to replace worry with trust in Jehovah. Let us remember that our loving Father promises us that if we put him first, he will take care of giving us what we need in a material sense (Matt. 6:32, 33). He has always fulfilled this promise (Deut. 8:4, 15, 16; Ps. 37:25). If Jehovah takes care of the birds and the flowers, we do not have to worry about what we are going to eat or what we are going to wear. Just as love moves responsible parents to provide for their children, love moves our heavenly Father to attend to the material needs of his servants. Yes, we can be sure that Jehovah will take care of us.
ILLUSTRATION:
A brother is sinking in the water. Series of images: 1. The brother packs his things at the place of employment. 2. While he buys food with his children, the money is not enough for some things. 3. His brother and his family leave his house.
Rather than “sink down” in worrying about material things, let us strengthen our trust in Jehovah. (See paragraphs 6 to 8). *
9. What do you learn from what happened to a marriage?
Let's look at an experience that shows that Jehovah can indeed take care of our material needs. A full-time serving couple traveled more than an hour in their old car to pick up sisters living in a refugee camp and bring them to the meeting. The brother recounted: “After the meeting, we told the sisters to go to our house and have something to eat. But then we realized that we had nothing to give them." What would they do? The brother added: “When we arrived, there were two large bags full of food at the door. We didn't know who had left them there. Jehovah took care of us.” Some time later,The couple's car broke down. They needed it for the ministry, but they didn't have the money to repair it. So they took it to a shop to find out how much it would cost to fix it. Then, a man appeared who asked who the owner was. The brother said it was his and that he needed repair. The man replied, “It doesn't matter. My wife wants just this type of car and in this color. How much is she asking for him?” . The brother got enough money to buy another one. He said: “I don't have to explain how we felt at the end of that day. We knew that this had not been a coincidence. It had been the hand of Jehovah.”
10. How do the words of Psalm 37:5 help us not to worry about material needs?
When we listen to the fine shepherd and stop worrying too much about material things, we can be sure that Jehovah will provide what we need (see Psalm 37:5; 1 Pet. 5:7). Consider the difficult situations mentioned in paragraph 5. Until now, Jehovah may have used the head of the family or the employer to take care of our daily needs. Now, if the head of the family can no longer bring bread home or we lose our jobs, Jehovah will take care of providing in some other way. Surely he will. Now let's look at another thing the fine pastor tells us to stop doing.
“STOP JUDGING”
11. According to Matthew 7:1, 2, what did Jesus say we should stop doing, and why might it be difficult?
(Read Matthew 7:1, 2). Jesus knew that human beings are imperfect and that we have a tendency to focus on the flaws of others. That's why he said, "Stop judging." And, although we try not to judge our brothers, we do not always succeed. What can we do in those cases? Listen to Jesus and strive to stop judging.
12, 13. How does Jehovah's example help us stop judging others?
Meditating on Jehovah's example benefits us, since he notices the good in others. Thus he did with King David, who fell into grave errors. For example, he committed adultery with Bath-Sheba and even had her husband killed (2 Sam. 11:2-4, 14, 15, 24). As a result, he not only harmed himself, but also harmed his family, including his other wives (2 Sam. 12:10, 11). On another occasion, he did not show full confidence in Jehovah when he ordered an illegal census of Israel's army. Perhaps his pride led him to trust the size of his army. Which it was the result? That 70,000 Israelites died from an epidemic (2 Sam. 24:1-4, 10-15).
If we had lived in Israel in those days, what would we have thought of David? Would we have judged him and said that he did not deserve God to show him mercy? Jehovah did not think so. Rather, he focused on the fact that David had been faithful all his life and that he was truly repentant. That is why he forgave his grave sins. He knew that David loved him very much and that he wanted to do what was right. Aren't we thankful that God notices our good things? (1 Kings 9:4; 1 Chron. 29:10, 17).
14. What has helped some brothers stop judging others?
If Jehovah is sympathetic to imperfect human beings, we can also be sympathetic to others and see how good they are. It is very easy to see the flaws in others and become critical. But the person who imitates Jehovah gets along with others even though he knows his shortcomings. A rough diamond may look ugly, but the wise person looks beyond appearances and knows what it will be worth when cut and polished. Like Jehovah and Jesus, we need to look beyond appearances to the good qualities of people.
15. Why will thinking about the circumstances of others help us not to judge them harshly?
In addition to focusing on the good qualities of others, what will help us not to judge them harshly? Try to imagine what his life is like. Let's look at an example of this. One day, while Jesus was in the temple, he saw a poor widow who dropped two small coins into one of the treasure chests. He didn't ask why she hadn't added more. Instead of focusing on how many coins she had given, he took into account her motives and circumstances, and praised her for doing all she could (Luke 21:1-4).
16. What does Veronica's experience teach you?
Veronica's experience shows us the importance of imagining what the lives of others are like. In her congregation, there was a single mother with her child. Veronica acknowledges: “It seemed to me that they were not very active in the congregation, and therefore I did not have a good opinion of them. But then I went out one day to preach with the mother. She told me all the problems she had because her son was autistic. She went out of her way to attend to her physical and spiritual needs. Sometimes, due to the health of her son, she had to attend the meetings of another congregation.” Verónica concludes by saying: “I never imagined that her life was so hard. Now I value and respect her a lot for everything she does to serve Jehovah.”
ILLUSTRATION:
Beneath the prominent image of an uncut diamond, a young brother enters the Kingdom Hall late while an older brother gives him an angry look. Image series: Below the featured image of a cut diamond, three scenes of the young brother. 1. You hand a contact card to a man sitting on a park bench. 2. The young man helps to carry the grocery shopping to an older woman. 3. He Helps with yard work at the Kingdom Hall.
Seeing beyond appearances will help us stop judging others. (See paragraphs 11, 14 to 16). *
17. What command does James 2:8 give us, and how can we obey it?
What should we do if we realize that we have been judging a brother? Let us remember that we have to love our brothers (read James 2:8). In addition, we should pray to Jehovah and beg him to help us stop judging. And we can act in harmony with our prayers by taking the initiative to speak with that brother. That may give us a chance to meet him. We can also invite you to preach or to eat. As we get to know our brother better, we can try to follow the example of Jehovah and Jesus by looking for the good in him. This will show that we heed the command of the fine pastor to stop judging others.
18. How do we show that we hear the voice of the fine shepherd?
Just as the literal sheep listen to the voice of their shepherd, the disciples of Jesus listen to his voice. If we make an effort to stop being preoccupied with material things and to stop judging others, Jehovah and Jesus will bless us. Whether we are part of the “little flock” or the “other sheep,” may we all continue to listen to and obey the voice of the fine shepherd (Luke 12:32; John 10:11, 14, 16). In the next article, we will look at two things that Jesus said his disciples should do.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What can we do to stop worrying about material things?
One thing that will help us is to replace worry with trust in Jehovah. Let us remember that our loving Father promises us that if we put him first, he will take care of giving us what we need in a material sense. He has always kept this promise.
What will help us stop judging others?
Try to imagine what his life is like. It is very easy to see the flaws in others and become critical. But the person who imitates Jehovah gets along with others even though he knows his shortcomings. A diamond in the rough may look ugly, but the wise person looks beyond appearances and knows what it will come to be worth when cut and polished.
How has the analysis of this article benefited you?
It has benefited us in being able to know a little more about the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught us that we must stop doing certain things and that we must do others. We learned to stop judging others, and put ourselves in other people's shoes.
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