Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision

I am sorry about no blog today,  I had no Internet until now.   Hopefully, there won't be any more problems for awhile.


Disfellowshipping may bring the wrongdoer to his senses.  Jesus once spoke of a young man who left his father's home and squandered  his inheritance on a life of debauchery.  The prodigal son learned the hard way that life outside his father's home was empty and heartless.  The son finally came to his senses, repented, and took the initiative to return to his family.  (Luke 15:11-24) Jesus' description of the loving father who rejoiced at his son's change of heart helps us understand Jehovah's feelings.  "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that someone wicked  changes his ways and keeps living," he assures us. -Ezekiel 33:11.

Likewise, disfellowshipped ones who are no longer members of the Christian congregation-their spiritual family-may come to realize what they have lost.  The bitter fruits  of their sinful course, together with the memories of happier days when they enjoyed a good relationship with Jehovah and his people, could bring them to their senses. 

Love and firmness are needed to produce the desired result.  "Should the righteous one strike me, it would be an act of loyal love," said the psalmist David, and "should he reprove me, it would like oil on my head." (Psalm 141:5) To illustrate: Imagine a hiker who succumbs to exhaustion on a cold winter day.  he begins to suffer from hypothermia, and he feels drowsy. If he falls asleep in the snow, he will die.  While waiting for  a rescue party, his companion occasionally slaps him in the face to keep him awake.  The slap may sting, but it  could well save his life.  Similarly, David recognized that a righteous person might need to give him painful correction for his own good. 

In many cases, disfellowshipping provides the discipline the erring one needs.  After some ten years, Julian's son, mentioned at the outset, cleaned up his life, returned to the congregation, and now serves as an elder.  "Being disfellowshipped brought me face-to-face with the consequences of my  lifestyle," he admits.  "I needed that sort of discipline." -Hebrews 12:7-11. 

Next time: Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision - THE LOVING WAY TO DEAL WITH DISFELLOWSHIPPED ONES 

From the Watchtower magazine