Watchtower Study, Week of January 6-12, 2025, How to react to injustices. Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, January 6-12, 2025, How to React to Injustice, Underlined Responses.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Light Blue: Additional Points

“Do not be overcome by evil, but continue to overcome evil with good” (ROM. 12:21).

1, 2. What injustices can we suffer?

JESUS ​​gave a comparison of a widow who asked a judge over and over again to give her justice. Surely the disciples could put themselves in the woman's place because at that time many people suffered injustice (Luke 18:1-5). Today, we too can understand how that widow must have felt because we have all been treated unfairly at some point.

2 We are not surprised that they treat us this way because prejudice, inequality and oppression are the daily bread in this world (Eccl. 5:8). What may surprise us is when a brother or sister treats us badly. Of course, they are not like those who oppose the truth. But because they are imperfect, they may sometimes be unfair to us. We can learn a lot from how Jesus reacted when he was the victim of injustice at the hands of evil enemies. If we strive to be patient with our enemies when they treat us unfairly, how can we not do the same with our brothers? Now, how does Jehovah feel when someone treats us unfairly, whether it is a brother or another person? Could it be that he cares?

3. How do we know that Jehovah cares about how we are treated?

3 Jehovah cares deeply about how we are treated. “The Lord loves righteousness” (Ps. 37:28). Jesus said that God “will see to it that justice is done quickly” to his servants at the appointed time (Luke 18:7, 8). And soon He will eliminate all suffering and will no longer allow us to suffer injustice (Ps. 72:1, 2).

4. How does Jehovah help us?

4 As we wait for the time when justice will reign, Jehovah teaches us how to respond to injustice.​ (2 Pet. 3:13). For example, it shows us what we should do to avoid making things worse. He also gives us a perfect model to follow: that of his Son. And the Bible offers us very useful advice that we can apply when we are treated unfairly.

LET'S BE CAREFUL WITH HOW WE REACT

5. Why should we be careful about how we react to injustice?

5 We may feel very hurt and distressed because of injustice (Eccl. 7:7). Faithful servants like Job and Habakkuk felt this way (Job 6:2, 3; Hab. 1:1-3). Although it is normal to have these feelings, we must be careful how we react so as not to do something reckless.

6. What does Absalom's example teach us? (See also the image).

6 When we see or suffer injustice, perhaps the first impulse is to take justice into our own hands. But that may only make things even worse. Let's think about the example of Absalom, one of the sons of King David. He was furious when he learned that his half-brother Amnon had raped his sister Tamar. According to the Law of Moses, Amnon deserved to die for what he had done (Lev. 20:17). Absalom was understandably furious, but he had no right to take matters into his own hands (2 Sam. 13:20-23, 28, 29).

ILLUSTRATION

Tamar cries desperately and tears her tunic. Absalom, acting cunningly, gestures for her to remain silent. When Absalom learned what had been done to his sister Tamar, he let his anger get the best of him. (See paragraph 6).

7. What was the first reaction that a psalmist had when faced with injustice?

7 When we see that those who commit injustice seem to get away with it without punishment, we may wonder if doing the right thing is really worth it. Let us think of the psalmist who saw that the wicked mistreated the righteous and despite everything they enjoyed life. He said, “So are the wicked, to whom everything is easy” (Ps. 73:12). He felt so bad about the injustices that he almost lost sight of how good it was to serve Jehovah. He said, “When I tried to understand it, it was very distressing for me…” (Ps. 73:14, 16). Furthermore, he stated: “In my case, my feet had almost gone astray, they were on the verge of slipping” (Ps. 73:2). Something similar happened to a brother named Alberto.

8. How did a brother react when he suffered injustice?

8 Alberto was accused of stealing money from the congregation's funds, although in reality he was innocent. As a result, he lost his appointment as an elder and the respect of the brothers in the congregation who knew about the problem. He remembers: “I felt bitter, angry and frustrated.” He let the emotional pain affect him so much that he became distant from Jehovah and was inactive for five years. This experience shows what can happen to us if we do not control our emotions when we suffer injustice.

LET'S IMITATE JESUS

9. What injustices did Jesus endure? (See also images).

9 Jesus gave us a perfect model to follow. Many people treated him unfairly. For example, some of his relatives did not believe that he was the Messiah and said that he had gone crazy. Religious leaders accused him of collaborating with demons. And the Roman soldiers mocked him, mistreated him, and ended up killing him (Mark 3:21, 22; 14:55; 15:16-20, 35-37). However, Jesus endured all this and more without taking revenge. What do we learn from his example?

ILLUSTRATION

Images of the injustices that Jesus suffers: 1. He wears a crown of thorns and is bleeding. 2. Some non-believing family members doubt him. 3. Religious leaders oppose him furiously. 4. He falls under the weight of the torture stake that a Roman soldier forces him to carry. Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to react to injustice. (See paragraphs 9 and 10).

10. How did Jesus react to injustices? (1 Peter 2:21-23).

10 (Read 1 Peter 2:21-23). b Jesus gave us the best example of how to react to injustice. He knew when to speak and when to be silent (Matt. 26:62-64). For example, when some made up lies about him, he sometimes decided not to say anything (Matt. 11:19). And, when he chose to speak, he did not insult or threaten his enemies. Jesus was able to control his reactions because “he put himself in the hands of him who judges justly.” He knew that Jehovah saw all the injustices he suffered and trusted that he would correct them in due time.

11. What might it mean to control what we say? (See also images).

11 We can imitate Jesus by controlling what we say when we are treated unfairly. If what they did to us is not very serious, we can just let it go. Or we may decide to stay silent so as not to say anything that could make things worse. (Eccl. 3:7; James 1:19, 20)  On the other hand, we may need to say something if we see that someone is suffering injustice or the truth needs to be defended (Acts 6:1, 2). Of course, we must do everything possible to speak with respect and mildness (1 Pet. 3:15).

ILLUSTRATION

Images of how an older sister reacts to injustice: 1. She remains calm while a masked officer takes her away in handcuffs and another searches her house. 2. Speaks respectfully to the judge at trial. 3. He prays in his cell, watched by a guard. When we suffer injustice, we can imitate Jesus by thinking carefully about when and how to speak. (See paragraphs 11 and 12).

12. How can we put ourselves “in the hands of him who judges justly”?

12 We can also imitate Jesus by putting ourselves “in the hands of him who judges justly.” As? If someone has the wrong idea about us or treats us badly, we trust that Jehovah knows what the truth is. This security helps us endure injustice because we know that, sooner or later, Jehovah will solve the situation. When we let him be in charge, we avoid being dominated by anger or resentment. These emotions can cause us to overreact, rob us of joy, and damage our friendship with Jehovah. (Ps. 37:8)

13. What can help us continue to endure injustice?

13 Of course, it is impossible to follow Jesus' example perfectly. We may do or say something that we later regret (James 3:2). And some injustices will leave us emotional and physical scars that will stay with us as long as this system lasts. If this is the case for you, remember that Jehovah knows what you are going through. And Jesus, who also suffered many injustices, fully understands their feelings (Heb. 4:15, 16). In addition to giving us the example of his Son, Jehovah offers us useful advice in his Word that helps us react well to injustice. Let's analyze two verses from the book of Romans.

“GIVE PLACE TO ANGER”

14. What does the expression “give way to anger” mean? (Romans 12:19).

14 (Read Romans 12:19). When the apostle Paul told Christians to “give way to anger,” what anger was he talking about? The context indicates that he was referring to the wrath of Jehovah. We follow this advice when we let Jehovah do justice when and in the way he deems best. That's what John did when another brother treated him unfairly. He said: “I had to control myself a lot not to fix things my way. Romans 12:19 helped me to be patient and trust in Jehovah.”

15. Why is it best to wait for Jehovah to act?

15 Waiting for Jehovah to fix things is the best. If we do this, we will save ourselves the stress and frustration of trying to solve the problem ourselves. Jehovah offers to help us. It is as if he were saying: “Leave the matter in my hands, and I will put things in their place.” Jehovah promises to take care of the matter and in the best way possible. If we trust that promise, it will be easier for us to free ourselves from anger. That's what helped John, mentioned in the previous paragraph. He explains: “If I leave things in Jehovah's hands, I know that his solution will be infinitely better than mine.”

“KEEP OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD”

16, 17. How does prayer help us to continue overcoming evil with good? (Romans 12:21).

16 (Read Romans 12:21). Paul said, “Keep overcoming evil with good.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). And that's what he did. We have probably thought about the pain Jesus had to endure when the Roman soldiers nailed him to the stake. They also humiliated him and treated him cruelly. The suffering was so intense that it is difficult to imagine. What injustice!

17 But Jesus did not allow himself to be defeated by all those injustices. Instead of asking Jehovah to punish those soldiers, he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Praying for those who treat us badly will help us see them differently and calm the anger and resentment we feel.

18. How did prayer help Alberto and John?

18 Prayer helped the two brothers mentioned earlier in the article overcome the injustices they had suffered. Alberto says: “I prayed to Jehovah for the brothers who had treated me unfairly. “I asked him many times to help me leave what had happened behind me.” How good that Alberto is once again serving Jehovah faithfully! John explains: “I asked Jehovah again and again for the brother who had hurt me. Those prayers stopped my emotions from affecting the way I saw my brother and helped me not judge him. Plus, they gave me peace of mind.”

19. What should we do while this system lasts? (1 Peter 3:8, 9).

19 There is no way to know what injustices we will face before this system ends. But, come what may, let us never stop asking Jehovah to help us. Let us strive to imitate the way Jesus reacted to injustice and continue to apply biblical principles. If we do so, we can be sure that Jehovah will bless us. (Read 1 Peter 3:8, 9).

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How can we imitate Jesus when we suffer injustice?

We can imitate Jesus by controlling what we say when we are treated unfairly. If what they did to us is not very serious, we can just let it go. Or perhaps we decide to stay silent so as not to say anything that could make things worse.  On the other hand, we may have to say something if we see that someone is suffering injustice or the truth needs to be defended, we should do our best to speak with respect and mildness.

What does it mean to give way to anger?

The context indicates that when the apostle Paul told Christians to “give way to wrath,” he was referring to the wrath of Jehovah. We follow this advice when we let Jehovah do justice when and in the way he deems best.

How can prayer help us overcome injustices?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Praying for those who treat us badly will help us see them differently and calm the anger and resentment we feel.