The Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 

Behavior. It’s the way we conduct ourselves in response to a particular situation. As parents, we are obsessed with our children’s behavior. Before we drop them off at a friend’s house we say, “You better behave.” We pick them up from daycare or come home to the sitter and the first thing we ask is, “Did they behave?”

I’ve even found myself asking if my dogs behaved when I pick them up from the kennel! We train and entice our dogs with treats, and commanding words so that they will behave and listen to our orders. Much of how our children and our pets behave is directly related to us and how we care for them.

Behavior is also how we first judge people. We observe their behavior and come up with first impressions. You can tell a lot about a person based on their behavior. If it’s someone who is always talking about themselves or always jumping to the front of the line, that behavior may tell us that the person may be self-centered or always thinking about themselves. If a person is always sitting in the back of a room, and not talking much, that behavior may tell us they are shy.   

Jesus says, “If you want to know who I am, take a look at my behavior.”

It’s Hannukah, the Festival of Lights, that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple. Jesus is there for the celebration, walking around in the temple portico when he is stopped in his tracks and surrounded by the people. They corner him and ask, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, just tell us. Are you the Messiah?”

Now, the people had been following Jesus and were witness to his miracles. But even though they had witnessed those things, some still did not believe. In response to their question, Jesus says to them, “Look at all I have done.”   “Look at my behavior.”  It’s not in just Jesus’ words that they should believe, it’s his behavior.

Because Jesus acts. Jesus’ behavior does more than just show us who he is. Jesus’ behavior tells us who he is. Jesus heals. He raises people from the dead. He loves the children. He cares for the poor, the homeless, and those out in the margins.  It’s Jesus’ behavior that tells us who he is.

Then, Jesus says, “If you were one of my sheep, you would believe.” If you followed me, you would simply trust me and not question who I am. He knows who his sheep are because his sheep hear his voice. Followers of Jesus hear his voice and they know his voice. And for those who hear his voice, he knows them all – each and every one of us. He cares for us all, and we follow him.

The image of Jesus as the shepherd and we as his flock is probably nothing new to you. We’ve heard this since our first days in Sunday school. It’s an interesting metaphor if we look at the behavior of sheep. Sheep behave in a way that is different from most animals. A parishioner at my internship congregation was once a sheep herder and he taught me a few things about sheep.

Sheep rely on the shepherd for life. It’s the shepherd who leads the sheep to the grassy field so they can be nourished. Sheep have no sense of direction and no real sense of danger. They follow whoever is leading them. If you were to lead a heard of sheep and you walked off the edge of a cliff, the sheep would follow you right off the cliff – every last one of them. They simply put their head down and follow the sheep in front of them. Sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and sometimes become scared at the voice of someone else. Sheep graze in flocks and most of the time they graze unprotected from predators. It’s the shepherds who have to keep watch to keep them safe. If a sheep lays down in the wrong position, the majority of the time, it cannot get up without help. For sheep, their behavior is one of reliance on the shepherd. And for the shepherd, the sheep are a valuable commodity. They are raised for meat, milk, and wool. Sheep are priceless and it’s the action of the shepherd that keeps them alive. It’s how the shepherd behaves. And just as the shepherd does for the sheep, it’s our faith in Jesus as our shepherd, that gives us life.

Jesus’ behavior tells us who he is. What does our behavior say about who we are? So often we look at people and judge them by their behavior, and we seldom take a hard look at our own behavior.

Take a second to think about your behavior this past week. How might people be judging you by your behavior? What are you proud of? What could you have done better?

There is a story of St Francis, who one day said to one of the young monks at the monastery, "Let’s go down into the town and preach." The young monk anxiously agreed so they took off for the town. They passed through the many streets and returned to the monastery without having said a word. The young monk was a little perplexed and said, "You have forgotten, father, that we went down to the town to preach yet we are back home and did nothing" "My son," Francis replied, "We have preached. We were preaching as we walked. We have been seen by many: our behavior has been noticed; it was thus that we preached. It is no use, my son, to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk."

What does our behavior say about who we are? What is needed for us to demonstrate the image of God that is within us?

Behavior is the way we conduct ourselves in response to a particular situation. Jesus lived a life serving others. Jesus’ entire identity is seen in his behavior – his entire life, even until his death.

Behavior begins with discernment—learning to hear Jesus’ voice amid the noise of the world. It’s being the hands of feet of Jesus and living with compassion, integrity, forgiveness, humility, and sacrifice. It means trusting the shepherd enough to follow even when the path is uncertain or costly. True sheep don’t just hear the voice—they respond, walk in it, and reflect the character of the one who leads them. Amen.