Ultimately, doing good isn’t just about following rules—it’s a way of living out our faith and advancing God’s kingdom. How District Apostle John Schnabel (USA) looks at this year’s motto.
The concept of “doing good” often raises questions about its role in salvation—whether it’s faith or works that truly matter. While good deeds don’t earn salvation, Jesus’ parables help us understand how they flow naturally from a life transformed by His grace.
Through the parables of The Tree and Its Fruit (Luke 6: 43–45), The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25: 31–46), and The Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25–37), we see that good works reflect Christ living in us. These stories teach us that true goodness comes from love, humility, and a heart focused on serving others, especially when it’s not easy.
A Tree and its Fruit
What inspires us to do good? Jesus explained to His disciples that “a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:43-44). Good works are the automatic result of our following Christ with direct consciousness of His grace and love towards us. The fruit on a tree indicates that the tree has life; the fruit doesn’t give the tree life, it’s a result of the tree being alive.
There is no affectation: either Christ lives in you and you do good works, or He does not live in you and you do not do good works. As we turn to our next parable from Matthew, there is an interesting connection to note: those on Christ’s right hand were unaware of their acts of kindness, and those on the left did not recognize their failure to act. Again, doing good is an indication of the life of Christ in us.
The Sheep and the Goats
We are all familiar with Jesus’ parable in which the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25 and each group questions when they have served, or failed to serve the King. Their deeds are determined by an acid test: what did they do to the “least of these”?
What defines a soul’s “leastness”? I think this refers to humankind’s sifting and categorizing of people rather than how Christ views the worth of each soul. He does not categorize people in the same manner that we do. In His eyes, there are no “least of these” – each soul has the same worth in His eternal perspective, which defies human categorization and the circumstances that people find themselves in here on earth. When we view one another in the light of His eternal perspective, and His life lives within us, then we will do good to all. In such a way, we are not only living in the kingdom now, but also advancing the coming of the eternal kingdom.
The Good Samaritan
In Luke 10:25-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us profound lessons about self-sacrifice, humility, and what it truly means to love our neighbor. When a lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”,Jesus responds with a narrative that challenges conventional notions of kindness and service, illustrating a love that goes beyond mere acts of charity to encompass a selfless commitment to others and, again, broadens our understanding of “whom” we should serve.
The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable exemplifies a radical form of compassion – he not only helps the injured man but also invests his time, resources, and personal finances to ensure the man’s well-being. Jesus calls us to emulate a similar attitude—sacrificing our time and comfort for others, even when it is costly, inconvenient, and unseen. Our actions, particularly in service to others, should be driven by humility and a genuine desire to reflect Christ’s love, rather than by a desire for recognition.
Furthermore, the parable underscores the importance of performing good works as a means of professing and demonstrating faith. Such acts of service, done with sincerity and selflessness, bear witness to the transformative power of Christ in the life of a believer. As Christians, we are called to be “stoppable” for those we encounter, meaning we should be ready to help and care for those who cross our path.
Conclusion
In the Lord’s Prayer, we express our hope for the kingdom to come, but this request also implicates our active participation. The Apostle Peter emphasizes this role in 1 Peter 2:9, where he describes believers as a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, [God’s] own special people.” In this calling, we are tasked with reflecting God’s will by actively bringing His goodness into the world. As extensions of His kingdom, we serve as conduits of His divine purpose, thereby helping to make the reality of the coming kingdom tangible to others. Through our actions and witness, we participate in the fulfillment of this prayer, embodying the kingdom of God on earth.
In light of these three teachings of Jesus Christ – it’s always time to do good! We live according to the message of the gospel 24/7 – seeing with the perspective of Christ, letting His life bear fruit through our actions, and serving others with self-sacrifice and compassion, especially when it’s hardest to do so.