When I was in seminary, our Old Testament professor, Dr
Richard Lux, used to tell us that while most priests preach on the Gospel
reading for the day, we need to also preach about those Old Testament readings
that as so easily ignored. From what we
can tell, the book of Malachi was written about a century of the people of
Jerusalem had returned from the exile in Babylon, after they had rebuilt the
Temple. At this time, the people were
drifting away from their faith again.
They were not paying their tithes; they were inter-marrying with
foreigners who worshipped idols; they were not respecting the Sabbath; and the
priests of the Temple were once again becoming corrupt. This is a common pattern with the people of
Israel. They return to God, they return
to their faith, they change their hearts, but then they drift away once again
from the path which God sets before them. Malachi has a vision of God
witnessing those who revere him, of writing their names in a book of
remembrance. God will remember them –
they will be his people, his special possession on the act on which he will
act, on the judgment day.
It is so
easy for us to stray from God in our modern world. In fact, many of the values we see as a part
of the Gospel are condemned by our world.
This month of October we celebrate the respect we are called to have for
life as a part of this Gospel call. Yet, many in our world do not see this in
the same way. We need to remember that
we are God’s people, his special possession as Malachi phrases it. We are called to be his disciples in the
world, to bring his message to others.
No matter how strong we get pulled in by the message of our secular
world, may we always cling to God and his word.
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