Treasures from God’s Word and Digging for Spiritual Gems – “She Put in More than All the others” (Mark 11-12)
Mark 11 & 12 deal with the following events:
- Jesus triumphal entry to Jerusalem.
- Jesus second occasion of overturning the money changers tables.
- Jesus answers a question about his authority from opposers by asking a question of his own that the opposers dare not answer.
- Jesus parable about the owner of a vineyard who sends his son and the cultivators kill the son.
- Jesus gives principle and answer to pay Caesars things to Caesar and God’s things to God.
- Woman who had seven husbands, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
- The greatest of the Ten Commandments.
- The widow’s small coins given to the Temple treasury.
So out of all these noteworthy events to comment on, what event(s) does the organization choose for the 10 minutes “Treasures from God’s Word”?
- Did it chose something about Jesus, God’s son and the head of the Christian congregation? No.
- The two greatest commandments of the Ten Commandments? No.
- The split between obedience to Caesar verses obedience to God? No.
I am sure you will have spotted the only one left by now. Of course it is the widow giving everything she had to a temple treasury that had more than sufficient funds.
Why do we say ‘of course’? Out of all the options, why did the organization choose to spend the whole ten minutes of the ‘Treasures from God’s Word’ item to discuss this point?
The w87 12/1 30 para 1 reference quoted gives away the reason for this choice by the organization. It says “The most outstanding one [lesson], perhaps, is that (while) all of us have the privilege of lending support to true worship by means of our material possessions…our giving what is valuable to us.” Yes, that is right, the organization is not satisfied with “our giving what we can do without” but wants “what is valuable to us…our giving [to be] a real sacrifice”. In other words, even though they have hundreds of millions in cash and billions in assets, please give the organization’s treasury everything you have so that God will bless you, even down to your last cent. How does this attitude differ from that of the Catholic Church and other religious organizations?
It is yet another subtle attempt to garner funds from the brothers and sisters, by guilt-tripping them in to giving even out of their own dire need.
My family and I were there at the JW KH this week after not being there for over a month. First of all, I had knots in my stomach all evening. I had a few Elders come talk to me but no one else that knew me were brave to come talk to me. My wife was ignored by everyone.. All I can say is ” Where is the Love? ” Not there. The meeting was a joke if you know the truth. How can anyone sit there and not see the falsehoods that are being taught, but then I… Read more »
Good for you, Mark. And so true. I too sat through so much falsehood never seeing it for what it was. I guess it wasn’t the right time for the Lord to grant me sight.
Its funny that you say that MV. I was thinking the exact same thing for me today
” I guess it wasn’t the right time for the Lord to grant me sight.”
There are three parts to the story of the widow’s mite. Jesus condemning the scribes seeking prominence and assets. Walking around the temple well heeled while devouring the houses of destitute widows. Then he points out one of those widows dropping in her last remaining coins to illustrate his first point. Because she needs basically a miracle, and believes this is how to get it. She doesn’t ‘want’ more, as the scribes and Pharisees do, she actually ‘needs.’ Then Christ’s disciples seem to ignore how this illustration has been taught for centuries – they make no comment on how noble… Read more »
Something I often thought about in the past regarding other religions I now wonder about WT. Suppose you went into a KH (really, the building of any religion at all) and told them, “I am willing to come here and listen to what you say, but I will not give you any money for any reason whatsoever. Am I still welcome to be here?” Their explicit answer will be “of course you are still welcome” but the hidden message is, “no you’re not, and if you don’t pay, we will make your life a living hell (so to speak)”. In… Read more »
I’m thinking the clam meeting is one night during the week, usually Wed. or Thurs?
And that takes place at the KH? I know the home book study has been done away with.
Was there donations accepted at the book study?
You bet there was often direction given that there should be a contribution box made available and the brothers made aware about it. Over time though being in peoples houses it sought of went into the background, and when I would check it there were few funds ever deposited into it, but definitely where I have been there was mostly always a contribution box in a prominent spot like on the coffee table or on the kitchen bench..
Just assuming here, but I would think that they did away with the home book study to get everyone back into the KH where they would feel more compelled to donate, instead of at someone’s house. Also they wanted to crack down on the personal mingling taking place.
Ha!
Excellent, Brain.
( I always think of Thunderbirds when I type your name. Do you wear big blue glasses? ?)
? there are a few ‘temples’ in our area being sold off too.
Tadua the last sentence in your analyses is an accurate description of what is the intention behind the exhortations. And it is working. In my cong one lovely old sister who is in her late eighties gives each pioneer $50.00 at the end of the service year. And this to people who in the meetings routinely walk past ignoring her all or most of the year and do not include her in anyway of their social life or spiritual for that matter too. The poor old sister is trying to be faithful and support the “kingdom work ” as best… Read more »
Jesus disciples had just recently heard him tell the rich man in Mark 10:17-24 to go sell what things he had and give to the poor and he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus didn’t tell him to give to the temple treasury but to the poor. So, in this form of giving that Jesus was emphasizing, someone like the poor widow that Jesus would later focus his attention on and mention to his disciples in Mark 12:41-44 would have been given the help that she needed and was not receiving from the corrupt religious system there present. I think… Read more »
“The more I think of the pattern Jesus set and his followers in the 1st century, such as meeting together in homes and concentrating their giving of money, supplies, time and effort to those in need among their fellow brothers and sisters and those in their communities, it amazes me how wonderfully simple the system is. No expensive buildings of worship needed, no huge factories, branch offices or headquarters needed. The apostle Paul worked so as not to be a burden to his fellow brothers and sisters and still was able to accomplish his ministry. The organizations vast real estate… Read more »
I too have had similar comments made in my direction. Have you noticed that although most witnesses view hearing the governing body speak as hearing Jehovah, (ex. 2017 yearbook p.24 “I feel as if Jehovah were talking to me right in my room when I listen to members of the governing body and their helpers”) I have found that I hear certain things they’ll say and it’s like others around me aren’t hearing the same thing. For example, at the annual meeting last year, Losch said in the dedication talk that numbers and growth don’t mean anything and he even… Read more »
Here is my answer to the “growth question”. Growth would not have happened without the organization? It is more accurate to say that the *organizational* growth would not have happened without the organization. I know that sounds confusing, but what I mean is that the managerial infrastructure, material wealth and real estate holdings would not have accumulated without an organization to make it happen. In other words, it exists solely to foster and encourage its own growth, at the expense of everyone else.
Kind of like cancer.
It’s a perfect example of an “insidious” growth.
It’s not confusing to me at all Robert. (Is 30:10)!!
I was discussing earlier today, how tame the CLAM meetings have become. This is just another occasion where those who plan the highlights pick out the one aspect they think they cannot get wrong, that none of the R & F will argue with, and succeed in feeding us with nothing we did not already know.
Que Lastima ! Sorry no accents on my Spanish.
Thank you for your list Tadua, modest minds think alike !
¡Lo siento, qué lástima! indeed. You are bringing back memories of my high school Spanish class, 50 years ago. Whew, am I that old?
Nearly as old as me, by the sound of it !
Well done Tadua.
The misapplication of this event makes my blood boil.
Remember the illustration in a study watchtower of the elderly sister looking into an empty fridge, then giving money to the WWW contribution box?
I don’t know how they dare to do it.
Martha, I remember that illustration. If the Org gave out of their treasury chest this sisters fridge should not have been empty. When do they really help those in need? But we are constantly being told to give. My niece needed help, and she was not even a member of the Catholic Church but they gave her a check to help her pay her rent. Never heard of the Org doing that. The rank in file pay for everything, from feeding the pioneers, natural disasters, construction sites, etc. No money ever comes directly out of the pockets of from New… Read more »
It starts to sound like an elaborate con trick, Eve.
That illustration made me realise how far from Jesus’ teachings this organisation has strayed. Also, how hoodwinked are those that didn’t bat an eyelid at the implication that a widow should go hungry to give money to the organisation?
Shocking.
Didn’t Jesus say once that a time would come when those putting you to death would believe they were performing the will of God? I need to go research and find that verse, but the WT attitude about this seems awfully similar.
…
OK, found it. John 16:2-3:
Men will expel you from the synagogue. In fact, the hour is coming when everyone that kills you will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God. But they will do these things because they have not come to know either the Father or me.