When I was in seminary, our beloved Old Testament professor, Dr Richard Lux, told us that while most priests preach on the Gospel reading for the day in their homilies, we need to also preach about those Old Testament readings, since they are so often neglected. Most Scripture scholars believe that the book of Malachi was written about a century after the people returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon, after they had rebuilt the Temple. But, not learning from the experiences of their ancestors, the people of Ancient Israel were once again drifting away from their faith. 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 corrupt and disobedient. Unfortunately, history tells us that this is a common pattern with the people of Israel. They return to God, they return to their faith, they convert their hearts, but then they drift away once again from the path which God sets before them. Malachi has a vision of God witnessing to 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 that will be remembered on judgment day.
It is so easy for us to stray from God in our modern world, with our society's secularism having such a strong voice in the world today. Many of the values that are 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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