You're Adopted

Invocation:

Our heavenly Father, we thank you for this day to come together as followers of Christ to worship you and honor your holy name. We pray that your Spirit be present with us, as we incline our ears to hear your message of faithfulness and steadfast love for your children. You know us better than we ourselves, and we pray that you hear what is in our hearts in our meditations. It is you for whom we gather. It is you to whom pray. And it is you we trust to be the answer to our prayers. Hear us dear Lord, and let your will be done, as you pour out your Spirit on us in this time. We pray these things in the name of the one who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven.

You’re Adopted

I’m not sure how it was where you grew up, but some of the kids I knew could be pretty mean-spirited. In retrospect, they were probably kids that were not treated well at home, and being mean to others kids was their way to act out their lack of self-esteem. Nevertheless, some of them, boys and girls, could really inflict pain physically, mentally, and emotionally on other kids, seemingly just to hurt them for the sake of hurting them. And one of the common insults that I heard many times when a bully, or a someone who just wanted to hurt someone else was just two words. “You’re adopted.” It was said with attitude, spite, and a familiar voice inflection that we all heard as kids. (With emphasis on voice inflection). “You’re adopted!” The idea was that the kids who were the targets of the insults were somehow flawed enough that their parents didn’t want them, and so they had to be raised by someone other than their parents. I didn’t really understand that then, except that it was something to say to hurt somebody’s feelings, because I had been adopted by my Mom. My natural mother had died when I was two years old. When Dad married the woman who would raise me, my Mom, she wanted to fully commit to me by legally making me her son to love and care for. And I will be eternally grateful to God for her.

In today’s scripture lesson from the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul uses the concept of adoption to help further describe our relationship with God in light of the sacrifice of Jesus, and through his relationship with God the Father. If you would like to join me, let’s read from Romans 8:12-17, for Paul’s explanation of this concept.

The New Revised Standard Version Life in the Spirit

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

In the verses just previous to what we just read, Paul wrote of God’s amazing grace in giving us life after death because we, like Christ, have the Spirit within us. And in today’s reading we are told that God’s grace doesn’t leave believers in just a state of neutrality, where we are saved but can just go on about our lives as we always have. But we are as debtors, with an obligation to God for our new life in God. After we have received God’s grace of freedom from sin, or freedom from ourselves, the choice then presented to us is between two ways of living; “according to the flesh” or “according to the Spirit”. One being the way of life, the other the way of death. Flesh does not mean physical flesh, but it is a term that signifies a turning inward toward ourselves, and our own desires, elevating our own importance; sin, if you will; a turning away from God’s Spirit, separating ourselves and distancing ourselves from God; again, sin, if you will. .

But, what God has done for us is so much more powerful and wonderful for us. When we turn to God, as the verses read, “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” We leave it all in the past, as if we leave our old selves behind, and we have life in ways we never had before. Paul tells us that when we are led by the Spirit, we are considered truly children of God. While we have obligations, or debt for the new life we can have in God, the debt we owe does not make us slaves, with the fear that accompanies being a slave; but the Spirit has brought about our adoption.

This imagery and terminology that Paul used in this passage about our adoption into the family of God is based on the very difficult Roman method of adoption that was in place in that day. The specific example being used for this concept is as if a child leaves a family for adoption into another, a metaphor for choosing to live in the Spirit instead of just for our own desires.

William Barclay describes the difficult process of Roman adoption in such a case. The process is complicated because of the Roman principle of “patria potestas”, which is the absolute power and authority the father has over members of his family, including his natural children, their descendents, and any children he may have adopted. In this system of family law, a child, male or female, never “came of age” with their father, no matter their age because they were always under the “patria potestas”. They were always subordinate to their father, in every way until his dying day.

In the case for adoption into another family, a person had to pass from one “patria potestas” to another. The process involved two steps. The first was known as the “mancipatio” and was carried out by a symbolic sale, in which copper and scales were symbolically used. Three times the symbolism of a sale was carried out. Twice then the father sold his child, and twice bought them back. But the third time, he did not buy him back, and the “patria potestas” was then considered broken, and the person was no longer considered a member of that family. Next, followed a ceremony called “vindicatio”. The adopting father would go to the praetor, one of the senior Roman administrators. and presented a legal case for the transference of the person to be adopted into his “patria potestas”. When all of this was completed, the adoption was complete. One can see that this was a serious and impressive step to take.

And while the process of adoption was impressive, the consequences of adoption are probably even more significant for the picture that is in Paul’s mind. There were four main ones. 1) The adopted person lost all rights in the old family, and gained all the rights of a child in the new family. The child did in all legally binding ways get a new father. 2) For the sons, because it was in fact a male dominated society, they then became heir to their new father’s estate, even if others were born after the adoption, and he was inalienably a co-heir with them. 3) Legally, the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out, and all debts, if the person was of a certain age to have them, were cancelled. They were regarded as a new person in a new life with effectively no past. And 4) In the eyes of the law, they were absolutely the child of the new father. As if actually born to the new father.

In the Roman adoption process, seven witnesses to the event were present, so that if later, one of the natural children of the father was to contest that the adopted child was not rightfully an heir to inheritance, one or more of the witnesses stepped forward to swear that the adoption was genuine. Thus the right of the adopted person was affirmed, and as a legal heir, the adopted person entered their inheritance.

We have been given new life through the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of God’s abundant grace. Our debt, or obligation that Paul writes of is not as if we have to continually earn our way into grace; that is freely given by our loving and benevolent God. When a person is adopted into a household, it is expected that they will act according to the rules of that household. They carry the name of the household, and it is incumbent on them to honor the name they carry with them. We likewise have been adopted into a holy household, and it should be a natural response for one who has the presence of the Spirit in their life, to try to live a life that honors the name of God. To reflect the image of God in our words and deeds to those we meet. And just as the seven witnesses in the old Roman adoption system were there to attest to the genuineness of an adoption, Paul tells us that it is the Holy Spirit itself who is the witness to our adoption into the family of God.

Through our adoption into the family of God, we are in God’s absolute possession. Our old lives are in the past, where they will stay in God’s eyes. We have a new life with God, and have become heirs to all of his blessings. We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, God’s own Son. What Christ inherits, we inherit. If Christ had to suffer, we also inherit that suffering; but when Christ was raised to life and glory, we inherit that life and glory.

With all of this in mind, the gift of leaving our old lives of self indulgence behind us when we are adopted into the family of God, I think about some people I have known who were trying so hard to adopt a child, and all the difficulties they encountered along the way. The legal setbacks, the expenses involved from paying for medical expenses for the birth mother, to overseas travel some have had to pay for. And the emotional roller coaster of hope and disappointment, for some repeatedly. But, mostly I think about how they demonstrated a steadfast resolve to see the process through to completion.

I once served with a firefighter who, along with his wife had fallen in love with a little girl baby from halfway around the world, and they anted more than anything to give her a better life than she could ever expect in her native homeland. I can’t even fathom the thousands of dollars they spent in numerous trips to see her, to work their way through the legal hoops of the country the child lived in. Their fear was that something could go wrong in the process, and they would never be able to shower the love they felt for the little girl on her. For over a year they made these trips back and forth spending more money than they probably could. They lived everyday waiting for word of the next step they needed to take to reach their goal of adoption. It was brutal and emotionally devastating at times for the couple. It wore them down.

Then one day, they got the word they had been waiting to hear. The adoption could go through. They could hardly contain themselves, as they booked the first flight they could find to get there before something else came up. And in the end, they were able to bring the little girl home where she now lives a happy and comfortable life with a family who only see her as theirs. After all the legal entanglements, heartbreak, longing, expenses, frustration and utter fatigue, those all gave way to complete and absolute joy. They were able to give all the love they had held for so long to their new little daughter.

The experience of this family, and other families in similar circumstances, can give us at least some insight into what our God has done in adopting us as God’s children. God has waited for us. God has loved us, even when we kept ourselves afar from him. And in Christ, God spared no expense to give us the assurance that he wants a relationship with us to make us his own. And in that relationship, we are heirs to all that Jesus, his Son and our Savior, has been bestowed. And news doesn't get much better than that. Amen

Pastoral Prayer:

Our loving and gracious God, we thank you for taking us into your holy family where we may inherit all the blessings you have promised to us as you children. You have made possible a hope for life in your presence and joy beyond our imaginations. We praise you and strive to bring honor and glory to your holy name.

Father, we lift up the names of other of your children who are need of your healing touch, and your comforting companionship. We ask for healing in your measure, strength to persevere, and patience in the healing process, and that you ease their pain. Be with their medical teams to use all the knowledge and skills they have amassed to give the best of treatments and support to these our loved ones and friends. We also ask, dear Lord, that you be with the families who give so much, and who see the situation closely each day of their lives. Give them patience, and understanding, strength and fortitude to give their loved ones the care they need, even while they must also care for themselves. Bless each of these, dear God, and give them your peace.

Help us, Lord, as citizens of the country and of the world to make choices that reflect your will. We are dealing with strife of all kinds, dear God. Violence of a magnitude that is devastating our country, is becoming so commonplace that we are growing numb to its occurrence. War and destruction between age old enemies has the world trying to find what is right and what is wrong, to encourage decisions that will calm and end conflicts that have become so protracted, that is seen as just the way things have always been and the way that they will always be. Help us across the world to end these conflicts, and find better ways to resolve our differences that reflect your will.

On this Memorial Day, we remember those we have lost in those conflicts that have claimed so many lives. We thank them and their families for the sacrifices they have made in the name of freedom. Dear God, we have lost so many young people, who made the supreme sacrifice for their county, who never got the chance to see peaceful futures. Help us, Lord, to find peaceful solutions to world problems, and to use our military forces for the good of mankind, instead of for destructive purposes. Guide us to learn to beat our swords into plowshares, to advance the quality of life for all people, where there will no longer be hunger, violence, abuse, racism or bigotry. We need you, Lord, to show us the way.

We thank you, dear God, for all that you have provided. We thank you for the earth we have been given, that you have entrusted to our care. Help us to continue to find better ways to guard this planet from the destructive effects of our human processes. We need you to guide us in making discoveries and necessary technologies that will reduce and reverse our impacts on the earth and its atmosphere. Help us, Lord, by giving us the conviction and courage to do what must be done to save your creation. You have blessed us beyond our comprehension, with a beautiful earth and sky, with the nature you have provided us so there can be enough of what we need to live, and we give you the glory for all that we have been given. Thank you, Lord, and bless us once again with the knowledge that you gave your only Son to restore and set right our relationship with you. And it is the name of your Son that we pray. Amen

Communion:

After communion:

Benediction:

May the Lord who has made us his own, continue to bless you with his love and care everyday of your life. Amen