Okay i already asked a question earlier on being disassosiated now i'm wondering who this scripture applys to if not those in my place or disfellowshiped ones. Surly it doesn't apply only to those who are inactive since the son left to do his own thing.....
Who does the prodigal son scripture apply to?
by Heather 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Seeker4
It applies in whatever way the particular religion wants it to apply. You can't reason with a religion about how it should understand it's scriptures. THEY tell YOU what it means!
Sorry. Read your experience and the advice you got about having to get reinstated is accurate.
It's why people try to fade instead of DAing themselves like you did, or getting DFed. Kind of leaves you open for associating with Witness family. You're in a tough situation.
And hey, don't call me surly!
S4 -
dedpoet
It should apply to people like yourself, who leave the religion and later express
a desire to return. That is obvious from the parable itself.However, the watchtower have introduced all these non-scriptural rules regarding
those who wish to return, so rather than making you feel welcome to be coming back,
they make you feel most unwelcome for at least 6 months, and maybe longer.In my experience, they always seemed very mistrustful towards those who had
strayed and wished to return, which is most likely why they make it so difficult
to do. It's like they are punishing you twice for daring to leave in the first place. -
I.Wonder
I don't know the answer to your question Heather but I wanted to welcome you to the board!
Very good question! I would like to know who this applies to as well. I always figured they applied this to disfellowshipped ones but wondered how that could be since the prodigal son didn't have to go through six months to a year of bs to welcomed back by his father.
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ex-nj-jw
Welcome Heather,
Do you really think you could go back just for your family?? What about what makes you happy? In my experience (not just with JW's) but whenever I've done something that I really didn't want to do just to please someone else or have their approval it's made me a very unhappy person.
No one can tell you what to do, just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. I can only imagine how you must feel not being able to have a relationship with your family and to see your nieces and not be able to hold them or play with them, but do you really want to be around people who judge you because of a difference of opinion?
No one should have to loose their family and friends just because they don't want or don't agree with a particular religion, but as we all know this is the way of JW's, they think they can guilt you into coming back and that they are doing this for your own good.
It's really sad, and I wish you didn't have to go through this!
(((((((((((((((Heather))))))))))))))
nj
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tijkmo
hi heather..other religions may have different interpretations as seeker4 mentioned.
but this is the wt understanding.
but just because this is the explanation given doesn't mean that it is applied ..it certainly wasn't in my case.
w979/1pp.30-31AFatherWhoIsReadytoForgive******
They
DidJehovah’sWillA
FatherWhoIsReadytoForgiveIT HAS been called the greatest short story ever written—with good reason. Jesus’ parable of a father’s love for his lost son is like a window through which we obtain a magnificent view of God’s compassion for repentant sinners.
Lost
andFoundA man had two sons. The younger one said to him: ‘I want my inheritance now, instead of waiting until you die.’ The father complied, likely giving him a third of all that he owned—the legal share for the younger of two sons. (Deuteronomy 21:17) The youth hastily gathered his possessions and traveled to a distant land where he spent all his money pursuing a life of debauchery.—Luke 15:11-13.
Then a severe famine occurred. In desperation, the young man accepted work as a swineherd—a despicable occupation to a Jew. (Leviticus 11:7, 8) Food was so scarce that he began craving the carob pods that served as food for the pigs! Finally, the young man came to his senses. ‘My father’s servants are better fed than I am!’ he thought to himself. ‘I will go back home, confess my sins, and beg to become as one of my father’s hired men.’—Luke 15:14-19.
The young man trudged back home. No doubt his appearance had changed considerably. Still, his father recognized him "while he was yet a long way off." Moved with pity, he ran to his son, embraced him, and "tenderly kissed him."—Luke 15:20.
This warm reception made it easier for the young man to unburden himself. "Father," he said, "I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men." The father summoned his slaves. "Quick!" he commanded. "Bring out a robe, the best one, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fattened young bull, slaughter it and let us eat and enjoy ourselves, because this my son was dead and came to life again; he was lost and was found."—Luke 15:21-24.
An elaborate feast got under way, including music and dancing. The older son heard the commotion while returning from the field. When he learned that his brother had come home and that this was the cause of the festivity, he became indignant. ‘I slaved for you for many years, and I never disobeyed you, yet you never gave me a young goat to enjoy myself with my friends,’ he complained to his father. ‘But now as soon as your son who wasted your wealth returns, you put on a feast for him.’ ‘Child,’ his father tenderly replied, ‘you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we just had to rejoice because your brother was dead and came to life. He was lost and then was found.’—Luke 15:25-32.
Lessons
forUsThe father in Jesus’ parable represents our merciful God, Jehovah. Like the lost son, some people for a time leave the security of God’s household but later return. How does Jehovah view such ones? Those who return to Jehovah with sincere repentance can be assured that "he will not for all time keep finding fault, neither will he to time indefinite keep resentful." (Psalm 103:9) In the parable, the father ran to welcome back his son. Likewise, Jehovah is not only willing but eager to forgive repentant sinners. He is "ready to forgive," and he does so "in a large way."—Psalm 86:5; Isaiah 55:7; Zechariah 1:3.
In Jesus’ parable, the father’s genuine love made it easier for the son to summon the courage to return. But consider: What would have happened if the father had disowned the boy or in an angry outburst told him never to come back? Such an attitude likely would permanently have estranged the lad.—Compare 2 Corinthians 2:6, 7.
In a sense, then, the father laid the groundwork for his son’s return at the time he departed. At times, Christian elders today must remove unrepentant sinners from the congregation. (1 Corinthians 5:11, 13) In doing so, they can begin paving the way for the sinner’s return by lovingly pointing out the steps that he can take for future reinstatement. The memory of such heartfelt entreaty has later moved many spiritually lost ones to repentance and has prompted them to return to God’s household.—2 Timothy 4:2.
The father also showed compassion when his son returned. It did not take long for him to sense the boy’s sincere repentance. Then, instead of insisting on extracting every detail of his son’s transgressions, he went about the business of welcoming him back, and he expressed great pleasure in doing so. Christians can imitate this example. They should rejoice that a lost one has been found.—Luke 15:10.
The father’s conduct leaves no doubt that he had long anticipated the return of his wayward son. Of course, that is only a shadow of the yearning Jehovah has for all who have left his household. He "does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) Those who repent of their sins can therefore be assured that they will be blessed with "seasons of refreshing . . . from the person of Jehovah."—Acts 3:19.
[Footnote]
While a slave was viewed as being part of the household, a hired servant was a day laborer who could be dismissed at any time. The young man reasoned that he would be willing to accept even the lowliest place in his father’s household.
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ProdigalSon
As you can tell from my username, I can really relate to this conversation.
Dedpoet, you really hit the nail on the head. I experienced exactly what you said, after being inactive for 16 years. They disdain you for having the utter gall to take time off while they had to endure through the Phariseeic slavery.
Little do they know the hell they had made of our lives, nor do they care. And of course I'm speaking of the elders. They've all been through the Tower's Nazi indoctrination.
As for the friends, I think the vast majority are great people, and I look forward to the day they're released from bondage to the bunch of Freemasons residing within that All-Seeing Eye of the Governing Body.
Agape