Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent at Mississippi Abbey

Jesus knows what is important to Him from what has made a difference in His life; so do the Pharisee’s. He says, “You belong to what is below; I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.”  Where Jesus belongs is important because it makes a difference.

“Belonging” is important to Jesus. Who or what one belongs to determines the kind of person she is. It can determine what she believes, how she behaves, and what she cares about. It makes a difference.

Belonging develops a person’s conscience of membership, an ethical standard that unites and supports her in living a good, worthwhile, and shared life. This conscience forms lasting, positive, and significant relationships. Jesus knows He made people to seek pleasant, stable and enduring relationships that promote one’s welfare. So, He gave principles in a story about living a good life. He gave them to “the people”; He preached to “the crowds.” Such a life can be lived if those relationships are formed around agreement and sacrifice for the sake of those principles and the end they are aimed at.

To belong means to be suitable, to fit in or be in proper relationship to others. To be a member means to be attached or bound by allegiance. It is to be the property of something or someone. And it’s a good feeling to know; it gives security and often delights. Jesus asserts that he belongs “to the one who sent me” and that one “is true.”  Genuine Belonging includes living in the truth. So, Jesus describes the strength of His sense of belonging: “I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father has taught me.” The Father is with Him and has not left Him alone.

So, the Father and the sense of belonging are important; they make a difference.