PENTECOST XXVI
November 17, 2024
“Adopted as God’s Children”
“God destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6)
November is already past the halfway mark, and many of us are just fine with that. It’s been overcast and blustery, and every day is alarmingly shorter than the previous one. Not much is left of the vibrant colors of autumn, with the trees nearly bare, and there’s a sense of ending, of closing down, as nature quietly anticipates winter. It doesn’t seem like a time to start a new project or activity — unless it’s a new book and a cup of hot chocolate, right?
Well, here’s some refreshing (or heartwarming) information: November is National Adoption Month, so for many families, it’s the perfect time to start something new!
Adoption has played an important part in my own understanding of family, as I’ve been blessed with a cousin, a niece, my brother, and our granddaughter. I could never see what difference it makes whether people share DNA or come together voluntarily in a loving relationship.
When we arrived at the Juvenile Court building for our granddaughter’s official adoption proceeding, we were surprised to find the lobby filled with the excited chatter of happy, smiling family groups. That was when we learned that it was National Adoption Day! What a delight to be part of this celebratory group on the day we already considered so very special.
Adoption has become a formal, legal process but the practice is rooted in ancient times. The Book of Exodus tells of Pharaoh’s daughter adopting the baby Moses, who led God’s people out of slavery. The Torah commanded the Hebrew people to not only care for the orphaned children of their relatives, but to adopt them as full members of the family. In this way, lines of inheritance were assured, and children were made secure as members of their family and community.
The Apostle Paul wrote letters of instruction and encouragement to new congregations, as they shared the Good News and gathered in support of one another. Many of these new believers were Jewish, and adoption was already part of their tradition. By speaking of these communities as families, and describing the members as God’s adopted children, he made it very clear that all are equal members of God’s family. This is beautifully expressed in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (1:3a, 5)
These words continue to resonate with us today, because the good pleasure of God’s will binds us to him as children and heirs of the promise. So here is the adoption document, signed, sealed and delivered, with no loopholes or qualifiers. Through the gift of God’s own Son, we are children and heirs, fully members of his family, equal in every way. There is never a time when we cannot cry out to our Father for comfort or protection, for reassurance of his love and forgiveness. He is our Father and we are his children, and that bond is unbreakable.
Blessed and grateful to be God’s own child,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers