Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Do a good deed

By Pastor William Jenkins

October 12, 2006

Jesus tells a parable about sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46). The sheep on the right hand are represented as good and have a bright future. The goats on the left hand are bad and would suffer dire consequences.

Sheep everywhere feel pretty good about the story but I’m not so sure the goats do. My grandpa Jenkins had a small herd of goats. Except for an occasional head butt they were not bad animals. He even named one after me. He called it “Billy” goat. It was a handsome goat. The goats were easy to care for. I don’t think grandpa would have wanted to raise sheep.

In the parable the sheep represent people who do a good deed. The goats don’t do bad deeds, they just don’t do anything. It’s not like they were expected to do great things either, just simple things.

An itemization of the deeds expected is revealing: a loaf of bread; a cup of water; an extra garment; a touch of sympathy; warm hospitality; a show of concern. There is no mention of being a great speaker, possessing great leadership abilities, Nobel prizes, or having one’s picture on the front of a national magazine.

It’s all about the little things.

It appears that when the stage is set for the grand finale of human history it is not going to be our grand achievements that will persuade the Almighty of our worth, but rather the small and forgotten deeds of kindness we have done along the way.

Mother Teresa said, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Few of us will ever have the opportunity of performing some great deed for the benefit of mankind, but we can do the little things well.

Here is something to ponder:

“It’s the little things we do and the minor words we say
That make or break the beauty of the average passing day.”

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org