An Act of Love
Rev. Charles Loring Brace is credited with beginning the institution of adoption in the U.S. around 1854. Having a deep concern for many children in the New York City slums who had been abandoned and were often starving and “drifting about our streets,” he formed the Children’s Aid Society. This organization sought out towns, usually in the Midwest, that were willing to place children in adoptive homes. In 1854 the first “orphan train” left New York City with 46 orphans from age seven to fifteen bound for Dowagiac, Michigan. There they were chosen by farm families eager to give them homes. Over a 75-year period, nearly 100,000 children were sent by trains to find adoptive homes in the Midwest. 1. According to the AdoptionInstitute.org website, the “National Center for State Courts gathered adoption totals from a variety of sources, and estimated that in 1992 (the last time comprehensive totals were compiled) nearly 127,000 children were adopted through all types of adoption— international, foster care, private agency, independent, and step-parent.”
Have you ever thought about adopting a child?
What are some of the motives that move people to adopt?
What qualities do you think are necessary for being a good adoptive parent?
Are these always good?
What do you think of the following preliminary requirements made by one church’s social service agency: (a) Couples who have been married for at least three years (b) Childless (c) Active members in the church (d) Under forty years of age at the time of the home study (e) Good mental and physical health (f) Successful completion of an adoptive home study 2. Read Exodus 2:1-10 and Acts 7:20-22. Obviously, this was an unusual adoption taking place under unusual circumstances. Pharaoh’s daughter adopted baby Moses, one of the Israelite children that Pharaoh had ordered killed. Moses lived in the home of the Pharaoh’s daughter for 40 years. What blessings did he receive from his adoptive parent? What blessings were not received according to Hebrews 11:24-26? The greatest blessings that parents, adoptive or not, have to offer their children are spiritual ones—leading them to know Christ through Baptism and God’s Word. Material things, of course, have their place, but only for this life. Knowing Christ carries with it eternal blessings. Read Esther 2:5-7. Esther (also called Hadassah) was adopted by her cousin, Mordecai, when her mother and father died. It is possible that her parents died when Nebuchadnezzar carried many Israelites off into exile in Babylon.
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Life Studies - Volume One © 2005 Lutherans For Life • 888-364-LIFE • 515-382-2077 • Fax 515-382-3020 •
[email protected] • www.lutheransforlife.org Life Studies - Volume One is reproducible for congregational and classroom use by purchaser.
What might be some of the advantages of a child being adopted by a relative? Esther eventually was married to King Xerxes and, as queen, found herself in a position to undermine a plot to destroy all of her countrymen devised by an evil official in Xerxes’ kingdom named Haman (Esther 2-3). It is Mordecai who urged his adoptive daughter to risk her life to help save her people (Esther 4-5). Mordecai gave his daughter this spiritual advice: “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) How might a childless couple look upon their position in a similar way as Esther was led to look upon hers? 3. God is spoken of as an adoptive parent in the Scriptures. His motive for adopting is one of grace and undeserved love. Read Romans 9:4-5 and Deuteronomy 7:7-11. God adopted the children of Israel because He loved them, not because they were anything special among the nations of the world. Of great joy to Christians is God’s adoption of us into His family. At the fullness of time God sent His Son to pay the price necessary to make our adoption into His family possible (Galatians 4:4-7). The price was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Those of us who trust in Christ as Savior can call God “Abba, Father.” We are no longer slaves but full-fledged children of God and heirs of the greatest inheritance one can ever receive.
Read Romans 8:23. 4. God’s loving adoption of us into His family creates a deep concern in our hearts for the needy of this world. God’s concerns become our concerns. Read Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 26:12; Psalms 10:14 and 68:5-6. 5. Our present system of dealing with children born to unwed mothers and foster children who come from homes where they are abused or neglected seems to be limiting the number of children that are available for adoption and who most likely should be adopted into a different home situation for their good. Discuss the following assumptions: Unwed mothers must want their babies or else they would have had an abortion. Thus, they are rarely approached about adoption. (Past research determined that, when counseled about adoption as an option, 14 percent of unwed mothers ages 15-24 decided against raising their babies themselves.) Children are better off with biological parents. The number of abuse and neglect situations found in many biological homes refutes this as an absolute principle. Prayer: Give us courage to share Your love with children everywhere—at every age! Amen.
Life Studies - Volume One © 2005 Lutherans For Life • 888-364-LIFE • 515-382-2077 • Fax 515-382-3020 •
[email protected] • www.lutheransforlife.org Life Studies - Volume One is reproducible for congregational and classroom use by purchaser.
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