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This article is from Today's Native
Father, issue #100, November/December, 1998. Related articles from this
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JESUS AND ADOPTED
CHILDREN by David Hertzler |
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He was the son of Mary. He was the descendent of King David through Mary. His true father was God. His step-father was Joseph, the husband of Mary. At age 12 Jesus got separated from his family on a visit to Jerusalem. When he was found in the temple, his mother scolded him, "Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." Jesus gently corrected her use of the word "father" by saying, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's (God's) house?" Already as a boy Jesus knew the tension between the wishes of his true father and those of his stepfather. He was learning the feelings of an adopted child. One writer puts it this way: "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 5:8, 2:18) If given a choice, most children would not choose to be adopted. The problems of adopted children are legendary. However, because we live in a world of sickness and sin, there will always be a need for adoption. Jim Minor, a northwestern Ontario writer, thinks it is time for communities to take a new look at adoption customs. Among his suggestions are the following: 1. Keep the process as simple as possible. 2. Form a committee of respected community members to evaluate the suitability of prospective adoptive parents. Don't allow people with a history of abuse, lack of child- rearing experience or insufficient finances to adopt. 3. Give adoptive parents more education on child rearing and available family services. 4. Don't force unwed mothers to give up their children. When a child is treated as an object to be used for getting a job done, he receives serious damage to his sense of self-worth, Minor says. However, when a child accepts and identifies with Jesus as the True Son of the True Father, he take a big step toward repairing this damage. Jim Minor's new booklet, Custom Adoption, is scheduled for publication in 1999 by NYM Ministries. |
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