March 21 Feeling Like an Adopted Alien
Leviticus 25:23; Romans 8:7; Colossians 1:21; I Peter 1:1
Years ago, we took the confirmation class to the Ithaca Commons. With the permission of the people we spoke with, we were able to video many of the conversations. I have not located all of the questions we asked, but I do recall asking a few: “Can you recall any of the Commandments?” was one question. Another question was “Do you believe in the God of the Bible?”
Most people could recall a Commandment about not committing adultery and about “murder.” (As I recall, most used the word “kill,” not murder, and there is a difference.) But the other 8 Laws of the Almighty were rarely mentioned. Responses about believing in the God of Scripture were generally mixed.
That day, as people bringing up God in public, the confirmands and I were feeling quite “alien.” Even though I have tried to train my soul to look upon all others as God’s creation, and potential sons and daughters of faith, I felt little kinship with the people we interviewed. We – the ones bringing up God — felt quite alienated from the folks whose otherwise secular day had been interrupted.
The awareness of alien nature is Biblical. A key Old Testament verse comes from Lev. 25:23 (notably before the wars of conquest in the promised land). “The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.” God is alien! We are alien!
Feeling strange is a Godly thing. But God does not want His created children be alienated from Him. Paul describes our past and what changes us from aliens to offspring: “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.…” (Col. 1:21, 22) People who hear and believe God’s astonishing historical interruption of Jesus, are no longer alienated. They are adopted!
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Friend of sinners, and Brother to the redeemed, hear our prayer.
To “abide with You” by faith, we are no longer aliens to You, but we become alienated to the world.
Help us to be comfortable with that change when we become Your adopted children. Amen.
