Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of January 25-31, 2027

Making Disciples

When a student takes a long time to answer a question, we may feel the urge to answer for him. We want to help, and we have much to explain. But lesson 11 of Love People—Make Disciples, point 3, reminds us not to talk too much or tell the student everything we know about a subject. Our goal is to help him understand the information in the study publication. To do that, we need to listen as well as explain. Proverbs 20:5 helps us see why.

Proverbs 20:5 — The thoughts of a man’s heart are like deep waters, But the discerning man draws them out.

A person’s thoughts may lie deep within him. Discernment is needed to draw them out. If we answer for the student as soon as he becomes silent, we do not give him an opportunity to express his thoughts. That silence may be exactly the time he needs to think. So after asking a question, let us wait patiently. We do not need to rephrase it right away or add another explanation. Let the student find the answer and express it in his own words. Listening will help us know what he understands and what he needs clarified.

What if he does not know the answer or says something that does not agree with the Bible? Instead of giving a long explanation, ask further questions that will help him reach the right conclusion. We can direct his attention to the part of the paragraph or Bible text that contains the answer and ask what connection he sees between that expression and the question in the study publication. Then wait again. The goal is not to make him guess the phrase we want to hear but to help him reason on what he is reading.

Once he understands the idea, move on to the next point. We do not need to add every detail we know. At the next study, let us aim to focus on the study publication, ask simple questions, and wait patiently. Talking less can leave more room for the student to think and learn.

Making Disciples

Publisher: Should I leave the book here, or do you need this space for the fabrics?

Householder: It is fine here. I already put away what I was using. I was having trouble finding some scissors; when someone moves things around, I spend more time looking for them than working.

Publisher: That fits in well with lesson 20. The introduction discusses order and how the Christian congregation is organized. It also considers how we can contribute to making everything work well. For example, why do you think organization is needed when several people do something together?

Householder: Well, I suppose it depends on…

Publisher: On each person knowing what to do, of course. Because if everyone does things his own way, it is difficult to coordinate. Right here, you need to have one place for cutting, another for storing materials, and to know what work you still have to do. Order prevents confusion. But it is not simply a matter of putting objects in their places; it also affects how we cooperate with other people.

Householder: Yes, although I was thinking about something else. Being organized is good, but sometimes the person who is organizing does not let others speak.

Publisher: I understand why that concerns you. The introduction connects organization with one of Jehovah’s qualities. To see which one, I am going to read the text it mentions, 1 Corinthians 14:33. Listen to how it describes God.

Publisher: 1 Corinthians 14:33 — For God is a God not of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the holy ones, What does this teach us about Jehovah? It teaches us that he loves order and is a God of peace. That is why we expect his people to be organized. Notice the connection: we are not talking about organizing things simply for the sake of having them organized, but about making everything work well and promoting peace.

Householder: I understand that. What I wanted to ask you is whether being organized means that everyone has to remain quiet and listen.

Publisher: Look at the picture in the lesson. There is a brother asking a question, and several attendees are raising their hands to comment. What catches your attention? They want to participate. And by raising their hands, they can do so in an orderly way. So the picture does not show people who are merely sitting without taking part.

Householder: Yes, I can see the raised hands. I wanted to know…

Publisher: Also, think about what would happen if everyone spoke at the same time. It would be difficult to understand what they were saying, even if each person had something interesting to contribute. That is why participating and maintaining order are not opposites. It is like when you receive several orders: you can handle them all, but you need to organize yourself so you do not confuse what each customer is asking for.

Householder: I understand the matter of order now. Can we continue? I would like to get to the question about how the congregation is organized before I go back to work.

Householder: I also need to listen to the end when dealing with orders. Sometimes a customer takes a long time to explain what alteration she wants. My question is whether there is room for those of us who need more time to express ourselves.

Publisher: Of course. Needing time does not mean that a person has nothing to contribute. Think of a customer who asks you to shorten a sleeve but has not yet explained by how much. Would it be enough to know that she wants it shortened? No, because you could cut off too much fabric. First you need to understand what she is asking for. With people, too, it is important to understand what they mean, not merely that they speak in turn. And this example has another detail: listening carefully can prevent a misunderstanding that would later need to be corrected.

Publisher: Yes, that is the next question. But first let me explain a little more about the difference between keeping things orderly and cooperating in an orderly way. That will make the introduction clear to you when we move on to point one.

Making Disciples

Publisher: Were you able to find the page where you wrote down your question?

Householder: Yes, here it is. I have so many notes that afterward I cannot find anything. I wanted to ask you about the brother who asks the questions at the meeting. Is he checking how much each person knows? Because I still would not dare to answer.

Publisher: Are you worried that he might ask you a question without your wanting to participate?

Householder: Exactly. In some classes they suddenly ask you a question to see whether you are paying attention. And even if I have understood something, when I am put in that situation my mind goes blank.

Publisher: I understand. Knowing something is not the same as explaining it in front of others. Look at the picture in our lesson. What are several of the attendees doing?

Householder: They are raising their hands. Well, that seems to show that they want to answer, not that they were chosen unexpectedly. I had not noticed that detail.

Publisher: Yes. Now, point 2 asks what function the elders fulfill. Thinking about this scene, can asking questions serve a purpose besides testing knowledge?

Householder: It can help us think. That happens to me here: sometimes I think I understand what I read, but when I try to explain it to you, I discover which part is not clear to me. Although you could also explain it to me directly and we would finish sooner.

Publisher: We might finish sooner. But would it help you if I explained everything I know all at once?

Householder: It depends. I want answers, of course, but if there are too many new things, I mix them up later. Like these notes: I wrote them down quickly, and now I do not even know why I wrote some of them.

Publisher: What you say reminds me of how Jesus took his disciples’ abilities into account when teaching them. I am going to read John 16:12; notice why he did not explain everything to them at that time. There is a passage that fits this situation very well. Would you like to read John 16:12?

Publisher: John 16:12 — “I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now. According to these words, was the problem that Jesus did not have anything else to teach them?

Householder: No, he had more to say. But they could not take it all in then. That reassures me, although I would not want my questions to remain unanswered either.

Publisher: Of course, your questions matter. How about distinguishing the ones that relate to the point we are studying from those we can return to later?

Householder: That sounds good, as long as we write them down. That way I can concentrate on one thing without worrying that we will forget the rest.

Publisher: All right. Returning to the picture, how can listening both to the question and to the answers help you?

Householder: I can try to answer mentally and compare it with what I understood. I do not have to be preparing a comment the whole time. For now I prefer to listen; perhaps later I will feel ready to raise my hand.

Publisher: Listening can help you a lot. And if someone answers using words different from the ones you had thought of, how could you find out whether you understood the idea? We do not always use the same expressions to explain something.

Householder: That is difficult for me. If my answer does not resemble the one I hear, I immediately think I was wrong. In class I tried to remember the wording in the book, because that made me feel more confident when answering.

Publisher: Let us use what we have just read. If you said that Jesus took into account how much his disciples could learn at that time, would you be explaining the idea of the text or changing it?

Householder: I would be explaining it in my own words. It would be different if I said that Jesus did not want to teach them anything else. That would not fit what we read, because he still had much to tell them.

Publisher: Exactly. So instead of focusing only on whether your answer sounds the same as someone else’s, what could you check?

Householder: Whether it expresses what the text teaches. That way I can recognize when I have understood and when I need to ask a question. I would like to learn to do that without worrying so much about repeating the exact words.

Publisher: All right. That question is clearer now. Let us move on to point 3 and see what question it raises.

Making Disciples

Publisher: Do you want us to put the books on this side and leave the pieces where they are?

Householder: Yes, that would be better. I have been working on this bookcase for quite a while. My brother-in-law tried to explain over the phone how to assemble it, but he gave me so many instructions in a row that I ended up even more confused. I will leave it for later.

Publisher: Sometimes we need to take things one step at a time. Would you like to continue with point 4 of lesson 20, or would you rather leave the study for another time?

Householder: No, let us continue. It will be good to change activities. It says here that Jesus is a leader who offers relief. I find that a little difficult to understand.

Publisher: What part is difficult for you to understand?

Householder: That following someone can bring relief. Normally, when someone leads, he tells you what you have to do. I already have schedules, orders, and things left to do. If I add more obligations, I do not see where the rest comes in.

Publisher: I understand; you do not want to feel more pressure. Let us see how Jesus describes his way of leading. I am going to read Matthew 11:28-30; notice what he is like and what he offers those who approach him.

Publisher: Matthew 11:28-30 — Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves. For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light.” Thinking about what you said regarding obligations, do you understand Jesus to be promising a life with nothing to do?

Householder: At first I almost understood it that way, as if approaching him would make whatever troubles you disappear. But then he speaks about a yoke and a load. So it cannot mean that you would no longer have responsibilities.

Publisher: Exactly. And according to what we just read, what is the one who invites you to learn from him like?

Householder: He is mild-tempered and humble. I suppose that changes things. Even if someone is right to correct you, if he talks to you as if you were stupid, you lose the desire to keep listening.

Publisher: What would it be like for you to learn with someone who has those qualities of Jesus?

Householder: Easier. I could ask questions without worrying that he would get angry. But one thing is for the teacher to be kind, and another is for what he asks you to do to be easy. That still makes me hesitate.

Publisher: Those are two different things, yes. Look again at the last verse. Besides explaining what he is like, what does it say about the load he places on us?

Householder: That it is light. So he not only promises to treat people kindly; he also says that what he asks can be carried. I had not connected those two ideas.

Publisher: That helps us understand the title of the point. Can you think of a difference between receiving help to do something and feeling that someone is simply demanding things from you?

Householder: With the bookcase, for example: it is not the same for someone to say that I should have finished already as it is to have someone beside me who teaches me calmly. The work is still there, but I do not feel as overwhelmed.

Publisher: Your example clearly distinguishes the two things. Jesus invites us to learn from him; he does not promise that all work will disappear. How would you answer your question about following a leader now?

Householder: I would say that it depends on the leader. I was thinking of someone who only orders people around and demands more. Jesus describes himself differently. Following him involves doing things, but it does not have to be the kind of pressure I imagined.

Publisher: Yes, that is the difference. Of his qualities, which one encourages you most to continue learning from him?

Householder: That he is mild-tempered. I find it difficult to ask questions when I do not understand something. Sometimes I say yes out of embarrassment and then continue with the same question. Knowing that he is like that gives me confidence.

Publisher: You can say so here when something is not clear to you, as you have done now. We do not have to rush. Do you have any remaining question about this point?

Householder: Not about this idea. I still want to learn more about what Jesus teaches, but now I understand why following him can bring relief and is not simply another obligation. We can continue.

Householder: Yes, one thing: What if I try to learn from Jesus but find it difficult to change the way I react? For example, when I am tired, I sometimes answer rudely at home. I am worried that I will become discouraged if I do it again after studying.

Publisher: I understand. But when Jesus invites us to learn from him, do you think that means we should already know how to do everything, or that we need him to teach us?

Householder: That we need to learn. So if I answer rudely one day, I should not think that studying is of no use to me. I could acknowledge it, apologize, and keep striving to speak more calmly.

Publisher: Exactly. Learning involves putting into practice what you are coming to understand, not merely understanding it. You have identified a specific situation in which you want to do that. Do you have any other question about this idea?

Publisher: Very good. Let us move on to the next point.

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