Today at church, I conducted my Sunday School session on the parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46). I started the class by playing a short YouTube video that illustrated the parable with images. It showed examples of people caring for others, such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick - as well as the opposite, where someone acted selfishly or ignored others’ needs.
After the video, I introduced a short activity to make the lesson more interactive. I read out different examples of behavior and asked the students: “If this is a good action, raise your hand. If it’s bad, keep your hands down.” For instance, I said things like, “You see a friend drop their books, and you help them pick them up,” or “You have extra snacks but don’t share with anyone.” Another example was, “Someone is sitting alone at lunch, and you invite them to join your table,” versus “You laugh at a classmate who falls down.” It was simple but effective. Most of the kids raised or kept their hands down appropriately, and it sparked some thoughtful discussion about what it really means to act like a “sheep” versus a “goat.”
One moment that stood out was when a child admitted that he or she had done a lot of “bad stuff.” When I gently asked if the child wanted to share more, the child declined, which I respected.
For the most part, my Sunday School Students are well-behaved. Occasionally, there may be one or two children who behave a little rowdy. But I hope sessions like this help them reflect on what it means to act kindly and responsibly. While the lesson might not be “typically Lutheran,” which focuses on grace and forgiveness, I do think it’s valuable for children to learn the difference between good and bad behavior, what it means to live as Jesus’ sheep in practical, everyday terms.
