RBWords

     St. Paul was a well-educated Roman citizen!  By the time he was born, the Roman Empire had extended its reach around much of the Mediterranean shores and Roman Law was the rule.  His Roman citizenship would save his life from a mob on one occasion [Acts 18:22] and also gave him the right to appeal to Caesar for judgment, which is how he managed to get to Rome at the end of his life!  His knowledge of Roman law found its way into his preaching!  We can see it in today's second scripture and in his Letter to the Romans [8:17]

     Roman law had a feature that is still part of the laws of nearly three-quarters of the world.  This feature is called "forced heirship."  Unlike the English Common Law that prevails as a foundation in English-speaking countries, and which permits a person to disinherit or leave one's children out of one's Last Will and Testament, the Roman Law required a person to provide for his or her heirs.  So, if you were a legitimate heir, you had to inherit.  It was very difficult to "disinherit" one's heirs.  St. Paul takes this concept and applies it to baptism.  Through baptism, we become "adopted" children of God [alongside the Jews who are the first heirs] and heirs to the promises made by God to Abraham!  This is because baptism "identifies" us ("clothes us") with Christ.  An adopted heir inherited equally with the natural born heirs.  So we are "co-heirs" with Christ!  [Romans 8:17].  

     This would all be just an interesting historical thing if it were not for the fact that our hope in Christ is based on our baptism and the assurance that we will inherit eternal life as a result of our relationship with him.  We are God's children and God will see what we receive our inheritance as long as we continue in relationship with Christ!  That is a wonderful "legacy" and worth a short journey today into Roman Law!   AMEN