Word to the Wise
Monday, October 26, 2009 - Monday in the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
[Romans 8:12-17 and Luke 13:10-17]For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Adoption law is an area of legal work where the rules are strictly interpreted and enforced. The Romans were no exception and St. Paul's original readers would have been familiar with the practice. One reason for the strictness is that once a person was adopted, not only did they become a member of the family just as if they were born to that family, they also became an heir. In Roman law and in the many countries around the world that base their inheritance law on Roman law, a person must leave a certain portion of property to his or her children. This is called "forced heirship." Furthermore, an heir could not be disinherited except for certain very strict reasons. Thus, St. Paul is using Roman law as an analogy to describe the relationship that arises when a person is baptized and believes in Christ. That person literally becomes a "joint heir" with Christ. That status also implies taking on the same suffering and trials! Those attorneys who specialize in adoption law or inheritance law can readily affirm how difficult any contested adoption or inheritance can be. Families can be bitterly divided. In the analogy that St. Paul is using, all we need to do is to take our baptism and faith in Christ seriously and live it. We then become children of God and co-heirs with Christ. As long as we are "led by the Spirit," there will be no disinheritance! AMEN
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