Some would argue that adoption isn’t what it used to be.
Even though the legal process behind it has remained somewhat unchanged over the past two millennia, most decisions to assume custody of another person have evolved from being grounded in a spirit of pragmatism to an act of selfless charity.
In the First Century, for example, it wasn’t uncommon for an adult male Roman citizen to either seek or readily accept legal adoption by a wealthy guardian who sought a qualified, responsible heir to protect and increase his fortune and lineage.
In other words, you were more likely to get adopted because you were needed rather than because you were in need.
I think this is an unusual practice for many to imagine today, perhaps seeming a little detached from what we’re accustomed to as being a proper motive. But, consider that even the Biblical authors’ references to adoption reflected a legitimate human aspiration—that is, to become an heir to wealth, and then, to actually receive it.
[Why is it important to understand what an heir is? see: Birthright Through Redemption [1]]
In his letter to “all who [were] beloved of God in Rome, called as saints,” the apostle Paul exhorted the reader to fully appropriate the mindset of a lawfully adopted heir:
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” [Rom. 8:14-15] [my emphasis]
If I’m being led by the Spirit, I’m able to recognize the Spirit who freed me from the slave market of sin. That Spirit is the source of my joyful spirit [of adoption] which also anticipates the confirmation of my inheritance at the redemption of my body in a future resurrection! [see: Rom. 8:23]
In order for me to truly grasp the significance of inheriting what God has to offer, it’s critical for me to be able to remain steadfast in obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ.
So, things certainly aren’t like they used to be. The reasons for adopting have varied over the centuries, being driven by everything from sincere empathy to rabid greed. But a true paradigm of its function has always been made visible by the original Designer.
And it has always revolved around the need to either have—or share what is priceless.
That’s why we long to cry out “Abba! Father!”