Digging for Spiritual Gems

Mt 12:20—How can we imitate Jesus’ compassion? (“smoldering wick” study note on Mt 12:20, nwtsty)
smoldering wick: A common household lamp was a small earthenware vessel filled with olive oil. A flax wick drew the oil up to feed the flame. The Greek expression “smoldering wick” may refer to a wick that gives off smoke because an ember is still present but the flame is fading or is extinguished. The prophecy of Isa 42:3 foretold Jesus’ compassion; he would never extinguish the last spark of hope in humble and downtrodden people.

Mt 13:25—Is it believable that someone in ancient times would actually oversow another man’s field with weeds? (w16.10 32)
AT MATTHEW 13:24-26, Jesus is quoted as saying: “The Kingdom of the heavens may be likened to a man who sowed fine seed in his field. While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat and left. When the stalk sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds also appeared.” Different writers have questioned whether this illustration should be considered real, yet ancient Roman legal writings suggest that it should.
“Sowing darnel in a field for purposes of revenge . . . was a crime under Roman legislation. The necessity for a law on the subject suggests that the action was not infrequent,” says one Bible dictionary. Legal scholar Alastair Kerr explains that in 533 C.E., Roman Emperor Justinian published his Digest, a summary of Roman law and excerpts from jurists of the classical period of the law (about 100-250 C.E.). According to this work (Digest, 9.2.27.14), the jurist Ulpian referred to a case considered by the second-century Roman statesman Celsus. Weeds had been sown in another person’s field, and as a result, a crop was ruined. The Digest considers the legal remedies available to the owner, or tenant farmer, in order to obtain compensation from the perpetrator for the loss suffered.
That such malicious mischief occurred within the Roman Empire in ancient times indicates that the situation Jesus described was true to life.

What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?

*** w18 February p. 11 par. 15 Do You Know Jehovah as Did Noah, Daniel, and Job? ***
15 How to cultivate faith like Daniel’s. The key to strong faith is not simply to read God’s Word but to ‘get the sense’ of it. (Matt. 13:23) We want Jehovah’s mind on matters, which includes grasping Bible principles. Hence, we need to meditate on what we read. Also important is regular heartfelt prayer, especially when we face trials or other challenging situations. When we pray in faith for wisdom and strength, Jehovah will generously give them to us.—Jas. 1:5.

*** w18 February p. 30 Joy—A Quality We Acquire From God ***
As we develop godly joy, we will experience benefits that go beyond simply how we feel inside. For example, we will become more pleasing to our heavenly Father as we joyfully serve him no matter what problems we may face. (Deut. 16:15; 1 Thess. 5:16-18) Also, as a result of having true joy, we will reject a materialistic way of life and will instead seek to make greater personal sacrifices in behalf of God’s Kingdom. (Matt. 13:44) When we see the good that this accomplishes, we will grow in joy, experience a greater sense of well-being, and add to the happiness of others.—Acts 20:35; Phil. 1:3-5.

*** w18 March pp. 26-27 par. 16 Discipline—Evidence of God’s Love ***
16 Jesus always listened obediently to his Father, even when doing so was very difficult. (Matt. 26:39) And he gave his Father the credit for his teachings and wisdom. (John 5:19, 30) Jesus’ humility and obedience drew people of honest heart to him and helped to make him a compassionate and gracious teacher. (Read Luke 4:22.) His kind words heartened those who were figuratively like a bruised reed or the wick of an oil lamp about to go out. (Matt. 12:20) Even when his patience was tested, Jesus was kind and loving. This was evident when he corrected his apostles for showing a selfish, ambitious spirit.—Mark 9:33-37; Luke 22:24-27.

*** w17 September p. 10 par. 9 Imitate Jehovah’s Compassion ***
9 We can learn a lesson from Jesus. He felt compassion for the crowds he met, for “they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” How did he react to their pitiful state? “He started to teach them many things.” (Matt. 9:36; read Mark 6:34.) His attitude was in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees, who had no desire to help the common people. (Matt. 12:9-14; 23:4; John 7:49) Do you not feel a yearning, similar to what Jesus had, to feed spiritually famished people?

*** w16 January p. 26 par. 15 “We Want to Go With You” ***
15 Jehovah chooses when in history he will select anointed ones. (Rom. 8:28-30) Jehovah began choosing anointed ones after Jesus’ death and resurrection, and it seems that all in the first-century Christian congregation were anointed. From the first century until the beginning of the last days, the vast majority of those who claimed to follow Christ were false Christians; Jesus likened them to “weeds.” Even so, Jehovah continued to anoint some faithful ones throughout that time, and they proved to be like the “wheat” Jesus described. (Matt. 13:24-30) During the last days, Jehovah has continued to select those who will make up the 144,000. If he chooses to wait until late into that period to select some for that privilege, who are we to question his wisdom? (Isa. 45:9; Dan. 4:35; read Romans 9:11, 16.) We must be careful not to react like the disgruntled workers who complained about the way their master dealt with the 11th-hour workers.—Read Matthew 20:8-15.

*** w15 2/15 p. 8 par. 13 Imitate Jesus’ Humility and Tenderness ***
13 His tender words. Jesus’ tender heart moved him to speak tenderly to others, especially to the downtrodden. The apostle Matthew applied to Jesus these words of Isaiah: “No crushed reed will he break, and no smoldering wick will he extinguish.” (Isa. 42:3; Matt. 12:20) Jesus spoke in a way that lifted the spirits of those who were figuratively like a bruised reed or the wick of an oil lamp about to go out. He preached a message of hope “to bind up the brokenhearted.” (Isa. 61:1) He invited those who were “toiling and loaded down” to come to him, reassuring them that they would “find refreshment” for themselves. (Matt. 11:28-30) He assured his followers that God had tender concern for each of His worshippers, including the “little ones”—those who may seem unimportant from the standpoint of the world.—Matt. 18:12-14; Luke 12:6, 7.

*** w15 2/15 p. 13 par. 11 Imitate Jesus’ Courage and Discernment ***
11 Jesus showed discernment in all he said and did. In his speech. He used good judgment when he preached the good news, choosing “gracious words” that amazed his listeners. (Luke 4:22; Matt. 7:28) He often let God’s Word speak for him—reading, quoting, or referring to just the right scriptures to make his point. (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; 12:1-5; Luke 4:16-21) Jesus also explained the Scriptures, doing so in ways that moved the hearts of his listeners. After his resurrection, when speaking to two disciples on their way to Emmaus, he “interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures.” The disciples later said: “Were not our hearts burning within us . . . as he was fully opening up the Scriptures to us?”—Luke 24:27, 32.

*** w15 5/15 pp. 16-17 par. 12 You Can Fight Satan—And Win! ***
12 Something similar can happen to us. As Christians, we have a normal desire to provide materially for ourselves and our family. (1 Tim. 5:8) Jehovah wants us to live comfortably—a fact that becomes clear when we consider the beautiful surroundings that he provided for Adam and Eve. (Gen. 2:9) But Satan can exploit our desires with “the deceptive power of riches.” (Matt. 13:22) Many think that money will make them happy or that material possessions are the key to success. Such thinking is pure deception, and it can cause us to lose the most valuable possession we have—our friendship with Jehovah. Jesus warned his followers: “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches.” (Matt. 6:24) If we slave exclusively for Riches, we have stopped serving Jehovah, and that is precisely what Satan wants us to do! May we never let money or the things it can buy eclipse our friendship with Jehovah. To fight Satan, we must maintain a balanced view of material things.—Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?

*** wp17 No. 3 p. 8 The Four Horsemen—Who Are They? ***
When Jesus lived on earth, he provided a heartwarming preview of future conditions under his rulership. He promoted peace, miraculously fed thousands, cured the sick, and even raised the dead to life again.—Matthew 12:15; 14:19-21; 26:52; John 11:43, 44.

*** w17 June p. 10 pars. 3-4 Set Your Heart on Spiritual Treasures ***
3 Read Matthew 13:45, 46. Jesus told an illustration about a merchant who was seeking pearls. Over the years, the merchant had no doubt bought and sold hundreds of pearls. Yet, now he had found the one pearl that was so magnificent that just seeing it made his heart rejoice. But to buy it would mean that he would have to sell everything else that he owned. Can you imagine how precious that pearl was to him?
4 What is the lesson for us? The truth of God’s Kingdom is like that priceless pearl. If we love it as much as the merchant loved that pearl, we will be willing to give up everything in order to become and to remain one of the subjects of the Kingdom. (Read Mark 10:28-30.) Consider two individuals who did just that.

*** w17 June p. 12 pars. 13-14 Set Your Heart on Spiritual Treasures ***
13 A third spiritual treasure is our repository of revealed truths. Jehovah is the God of truth. (2 Sam. 7:28; Ps. 31:5) As a generous Father, he shares divine truths with those who fear him. From the time that we first heard the truth, we have had the opportunity to collect truths from his Word, the Bible, from our Christian publications, and from our conventions, assemblies, and weekly meetings. Over time, we develop what Jesus described as a “treasure store” of old and new truths. (Read Matthew 13:52.) Jehovah will help us to collect precious new truths into our “treasure store” if we search for them as for hidden treasures. (Read Proverbs 2:4-7.) How do we do that?
14 We must develop good personal study habits and do careful research in God’s Word and in our publications. This will help us to discover truths that may be “new” in the sense that we did not know them before. (Josh. 1:8, 9; Ps. 1:2, 3) The very first issue of this magazine, published in July 1879, stated: “Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. . . . If you would possess it you must stoop to get it. Be not content with one flower of truth. . . . Gather ever, seek for more.” Yes, we must be eager to enrich our own treasure store of divine truths.

*** wp16 No. 1 p. 13 How to Overcome Feelings of Insecurity ***
2. Find a spiritual family.
Jesus taught his disciples to think of one another as brothers and sisters. “All of you are brothers,” he told them. (Matthew 23:8) He wanted his true disciples to love one another and become what we could call a large spiritual family.—Matthew 12:48-50; John 13:35.
Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses sincerely try to provide the warmth and comfort of a true spiritual family. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Many have found that congregation meetings can serve as a soothing ointment that cures their emotional cuts and bruises.
“I had a special friend in my local congregation, who understood the pain I was suffering,” recalls Eva. “She listened to me, read to me, and prayed with me. She made sure I was not alone. She helped me talk things through and unburden myself. Thanks to her support, I began to feel more secure.” “I found a ‘mother and father’ in the congregation,” Rachel adds. “They really made me feel loved and secure.”

*** wp16 No. 5 p. 13 David Versus Goliath—Did It Really Happen? ***
2 | Was David a real person?
There was a time when scholars tried to relegate King David to the realm of myth, but that has become harder to do. Archaeologists have found an ancient inscription that mentions “the house of David.” Furthermore, Jesus Christ spoke of David as a real person. (Matthew 12:3; 22:43-45) Jesus’ identity as the Messiah is supported by two detailed genealogies showing that he descended from King David. (Matthew 1:6-16; Luke 3:23-31) Clearly, David was a real man.

*** w16 March p. 30 par. 2 Questions From Readers ***
With these Scriptural details in mind, it becomes clear that the captivity of God’s people to Babylon the Great must have been much longer than the events of 1918-1919. The captivity parallels the time when the symbolic weeds would grow together with the wheatlike “sons of the Kingdom.” (Matt. 13:36-43) That growing season refers to the period during which genuine Christians were greatly outnumbered by apostates. The Christian congregation, in effect, was held captive by Babylon the Great. That captivity began sometime in the second century C.E. and continued until the cleansing of the spiritual temple in the time of the end.—Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thess. 2:3, 6; 1 John 2:18, 19.

*** w16 September pp. 23-24 par. 3 Young Ones, Strengthen Your Faith ***
3 Genuine faith is based on accurate knowledge about God. (1 Tim. 2:4) So as you study God’s Word and our Christian publications, do not just skim over the material. Use your thinking ability so that you ‘get the sense’ of what you read. (Matt. 13:23) Let us see how doing so can help you to strengthen your faith in God as the Creator and in the Bible—topics on which there is no shortage of “convincing evidence.”—Heb. 11:1, ftn.

*** w16 September p. 30 par. 9 Parents, Help Your Children Build Faith ***
9 Jesus often used illustrations, which stimulate thinking, appeal to the heart, and aid the memory. (Matt. 13:34, 35) Children tend to have a vivid imagination. So parents, try to use illustrations liberally in your teaching. A mother in Japan did just that. When her two boys were eight and ten respectively, she taught them about earth’s atmosphere and the care Jehovah showed in making it. To do that, she gave the boys milk, sugar, and coffee. Then she asked each of the boys to make her a cup of coffee. “They took great care,” she explained. “When I asked them why they were so careful, they said that they wanted the coffee to be just the way I like it. I explained that God mixed the gases in the atmosphere with similar care—just right for us.” That illustration was fitting for their age, and it engaged them in a way that passive learning might not have. No doubt they long remembered the lesson!

*** w15 3/15 p. 29 par. 18 Loyally Supporting Christ’s Brothers ***
18 Soon the angels will unleash the destructive winds of the great tribulation. This will occur after all the remaining ones of Christ’s brothers left on earth have received their final sealing. (Rev. 7:1-3) Before Armageddon breaks out, anointed ones will be taken to heaven. (Matt. 13:41-43) Therefore, now is the time for those who hope to be judged as sheep to support Christ’s brothers loyally.

*** w15 5/15 p. 28 par. 16 Imitate the One Who Promises Everlasting Life ***
16 Imagine the extent of our anxiety if we were consumed by efforts to store up “treasures on the earth.” (Matt. 6:19) Jesus used an illustration to show that “the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches” can choke the word of the Kingdom. (Matt. 13:18, 19, 22) Whether worrying about money or not, some people constantly imagine all the bad things that can possibly happen. However, uncontrolled anxious thoughts can cause us physical and spiritual harm. Let us trust in Jehovah and remember that “anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.” (Prov. 12:25) Good words of encouragement from someone who understands us can make our heart rejoice. Confiding in our parents, our spouse, or a trusted friend who views things from God’s standpoint may help to relieve our anxiety.

*** w15 11/15 p. 27 par. 4 One Hundred Years Under Kingdom Rulership! ***
4 Jesus compared “the word of the Kingdom” to seed that is sown on various types of soil. (Matt. 13:18, 19) A gardener may use a variety of tools to prepare his garden to receive seed. Similarly, over the years our King has given us tools to use to help prepare the hearts of millions to receive the Kingdom message. Some tools were useful for perhaps a decade or so, while others have proved to be of timeless value. But all these tools have allowed us to develop our skills as evangelizers in some way.

*** w15 12/15 p. 20 par. 11 Use the Power of Your Tongue for Good ***
11 Jesus taught that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt. 12:34) Therefore, choosing the appropriate words begins in the heart. Our speech usually reflects how we truly feel about others. If our hearts are full of love and compassion, our speech will likely be positive and upbuilding.