Every week I receive the bulletin for the upcoming Sunday worship service in my email. It contains the announcements and the Scripture reading which our pastor is going to base his sermon on. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to read the scripture passage and write a blog entry containing my thoughts on the passage as a way to prepare for Sunday morning worship. I do not know how long I will continue doing this, but it seems to be an exercise that has some value.

    This week’s passage is Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats. This is perhaps my favorite parable and I am looking forward to hearing what Mark (the pastor at Butter Valley Community Church) has to say about it. Keith Green did a song about it, titled “The Sheep and The Goats”. At the end of the song, Keith pointed out that the only difference in the parable between the sheep and the goats was what they did and what they did not do.
    After reading this passage we need to ask ourselves these questions: the last time we saw someone who was hungry, did we feed them? How about the person who was thirsty? Do we invite strangers in? Do we clothe the naked? Do we care for the sick? Do we visit those in prison? I think the point I want to make is that this parable is not about how our tax dollars are spent. It is not even about the money we give to charity. No, this is about how we treat people. Do we take the time and effort to identify and meet the needs of those we see in our daily lives?