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Preaching to the Maronites in Lebanon

By Watch Tower missionary in Lebanon

LEBANON at once calls to mind the cedars of Lebanon used by King Solomon in his construction of the temple of Jehovah. Among the mountains where these cedars are still to be found are many villages. The majority of their inhabitants are Maronites, a sect within the church of Rome and founded, it is claimed, by one John Maron in the seventh century (A.D.). As a result of the Crusades of the twelfth century the Maronites recognized Rome’s claim to supremacy. However, they still have their own patriarch who is elected by their bishops. Among the distinguishing features of the Maronites have been their permitting priests to marry, serving the people both bread and wine at the mass, the wafer being dipped in wine and offered on a spoon, and certain religious holidays of their own.

Jehovah’s witnesses at Tripoli preached the good news of God’s kingdom to these people each Sunday from April to December, 1954. A bus was rented and some thirty ministers met at six in the morning and spent the entire day preaching from house to house, returning in the evening. Although the people are very religious the witnesses of Jehovah met little opposition. They had quite a few opportunities to give public talks to groups of interested persons in the open-air cafés and public squares.

It was very apparent that many hearts of sheeplike ones were made glad by the good news of the Kingdom and many rejoiced at seeing a Bible for the first time. Indicative of the kindly spirit of these people is that manifested by one old lady who offered the ministers of Jehovah the only thing she had to give, some yogurt made of sheep’s milk. She was told that Jesus had said that one giving a cup of cold water would not lose his reward and that she had given more than that. She replied: “You deserve more. We owe you our lives for this good news about the Kingdom that we received from you.”

In another village a priest happened to enter a home where two ministers were giving the witness to some fifteen eager listeners. The priest tried to break up the gathering, stating: “How dare you come here! Don’t you know this place belongs to me? I’m the only one supposed to teach religion here! Get out!” But the householder was of a different opinion and refused to put out the witnesses of Jehovah. The priest said he was going to the church to ring its bell to gather all the villagers so that they could throw the witnesses out of the village and he called on those present to come with him. Some followed and those who refused he threatened to report to the bishop.

With the ringing of the bell the villagers began to arrive, and as the witnesses had been gathered by their bus they at once engaged the villagers in conversation, explaining their work to them. Soon the crowd was in a quite receptive mood and so one of the witnesses gave them an impromptu Bible lecture. Among other things he told them how the clergy had opposed those entering the Kingdom in Jesus’ day and that the Roman Catholic clergy were doing the same thing today, but that the sheeplike ones were manifesting themselves nevertheless. Afterward many were heard to say that ‘Jehovah’s witnesses are the true Christians while we, and especially our priests, are not.’ So the priest, instead of driving out the witnesses of Jehovah, had aided them to preach to greater numbers.

All in all, some 4,500 hours were spent in this work and sixty-five villages were given the witness, resulting in the placement of much Bible literature and the starting of a number of Bible studies in the homes of the people.