I have often been struck by the deep need people have for assurance of belonging. And this is nowhere more evident than in the way we’re driven to locate ourselves and others within families. For instance, when a child is born, I’ve noticed that an immediate and almost involuntary search is engaged by people to identify and catalog the traits and characteristics that link the baby to his or her relatives. Evaluations are made about eye and hair color along with shape, size, and a multitude of other qualities that note similarities with parents and other members of their clan. And it always amazes me to observe the sweet peace that seems to settle over people when they’re able to rest in the confidence of the child’s connection to the tribe.
In the section of John chapter 8 bounded by verses 37 and 47, Jesus responded to the assertion by the Jewish leaders that they held a privileged connection to God. They laid claim to being Abraham’s descendants. But Jesus pushed back by saying if they really were, they wouldn’t be seeking to kill him. And when they responded by taking things a step further and insisting God was their father, Jesus strongly contradicted them and flatly stated that in fact the devil was.
That must have stung! But the Lord wasn’t just trying to antagonize them. He was pointing out that as surely as our physical characteristics connect us to our birth families, there are qualities that reveal our spiritual families as well. He said they had inherited their desire to kill him from Satan who was a murderer from the beginning. And he pointed out that their inability to perceive the truths he was teaching was because they were offspring of the father of lies.
But in this same passage, Jesus also pointed out two traits that are common among those who are part of God’s family. In verse 42, he said God’s children love Jesus. Then in verse 47, he said they also hear God’s words. And he wasn’t just referring to the vowels, consonants, and syllables. He meant the message the words convey.
The Lord was describing a couple of very key elements of family resemblance among his kids. And that makes me want to pause, look myself in the mirror, and sincerely ask, “Does my life bear the characteristics of the family of God? Do I evidence a sincere love of Jesus in the way I live, and am I quick, thorough, and joyful in the way I respond to what God has said?”
According to Jesus, these are the traits that settle the question of belonging. They bring into sharp focus what defines the only family relationship that ultimately matters.
And the most wonderful thing about this is that no matter what characteristics we’ve inherited from our physical families we all have the same opportunity to experience a new birth through faith in Christ, his cross, and resurrection that reshapes everything about us so that we can start to look more like our heavenly father.
It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.
I was born with features that were noticeably similar to my dad’s. But with every stage of my physical growth, those similarities have become more pronounced. And in the same way, as we progress in a born-again relationship with God, our resemblance to him increases.
So, let’s make this our prayer: “Lord, may my love for Jesus and responsiveness to your message cause me to reflect your image into this world with increasing clarity today and every day that follows.”