To Active JWs: Your January 5, 2014 Daily Text Contains an Error
Sunday, January 5
The anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word.—Matt. 13:22.
One factor that chokes the word is “the anxiety of this system of things.” In these “critical times hard to deal with,” there is much that could make you anxious. (2 Tim. 3:1) With the high cost of living and rising unemployment rates, you may find it difficult to make ends meet. You may also be anxious about the future and wonder, ‘Will I have enough income after I retire?’ Because of such anxiety, some have been led to pursue riches, thinking that money will guarantee security. The other factor is “the deceptive power of riches.” That element combined with anxiety can choke the word. The Bible acknowledges that “money is for a protection.” (Eccl. 7:12) However, the pursuit of riches is not wise. Many have found that the more they struggle to acquire riches, the more materialism entraps them. Some have even become slaves to riches.—Matt. 6:24. w12 8/15 4:3-5 (underlining added)
The error in today’s text is Hypocrisy.
(Matthew 23:2, 3) . . .“The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. Therefore all the things they tell YOU, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform.
In the U.S., the Governing Body has required that the brothers put the material before themselves, their children, common sense, and their wallet.
For instance, in the U.S. today the appearance of the carpeting and seating in most Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls is put first; young mothers with bottle fed infants and small children last. All this of course is blamed on Jehovah because, as the JWs are told, Jehovah wants his people to take good care of their meetings places. Such good care, that even the accidental drip from a baby bottle is something to be vigorously avoided in the main seating area and mothers are told to take the bottle fed infant to the nursing area apart from the main hall.
This of course, makes many parents paranoid with their other small children who may put a shoe on the seat or god forbid have a piece of food in their mouth in the main hall. But there was a time when the Organization did not think Jehovah was so picky.
Once Upon a Time: Mothers fed their bottle fed infants in the main seating area of the KH. The Kingdom Hall was kept clean, walls painted, floors swept and polished, a simple sign for the years text made by a local brother hung over the platform, sisters sewed the curtains for the platform and the windows. The foyer was neat and simple. Brothers cut the grass only lawn, if there was any, and the few flowers and plants in front of the hall were easily cared for. Things were kept simple. (Many community churches today have simple meeting places as well so this is not a thing of the past; it's putting what is important before the unimportant.)
(Luke 11:34) . . .When your eye is simple, your whole body is also bright. . .
(Luke 10:41, 42) . . .“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and disturbed about many things. A few things, though, are needed, or just one. . . .
Today in many Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls in the U.S.: The fine, many times very fine, furnishings require much time, hard work and expense to maintain in the condition required by the Governing Body: “pristine”. Many JWs sit in large finely furnished Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls with manicured lawns and gardens. Every step in, and every step out, is encased in the pleasures of the material; of fine buildings, furnishings and manicured lawns, plantings and decorative trees.
There is nothing wrong with having a fine place to meet or a fine home to live in. The problem is that on the one hand when it comes to the publishers’ personal finances and hopes for retirement the Governing Body warns of materialism but when building superfine Assembly Halls they readily accept materialism. It’s called talking out of both sides of your mouth- to the publishers scripture is quoted to encourage a fugal life but then in practice when building small palaces called Assembly Halls they throw out those same scriptures and choose others which appear to support their building efforts.
“Some have even become slaves to riches.” But the GB does not mind that JWs are slaving to maintain the “rich” surroundings the GB has required of many congregations and circuits here in the U.S.
“With the high cost of living and rising unemployment rates, you may find it difficult to make ends meet.” But the finely furnished buildings with apartments for circuit overseers MUST be built brothers otherwise we let Jehovah down, they are told. Yes much financial anxiety exists in the congregation; GB produced anxiety.
When you visit your Assembly Hall again look around and take note of what is not necessary, what is excess. Look around the grounds and ask yourself:
Why was my hard earned money spent on decorative plants, trees, fountains etc.? Why can’t we just have a simple meeting place as Jesus himself would have encouraged? Why does my wife have to leave her family to bottle feed our baby alone in a separate room so that the seats in the Assembly Hall are protected? What would Jesus have said about that?
Then turn to the January 5, 2014 text again and read it carefully once more.
(We are moving. This will be my last post for a while. Take Care everyone.)