The Coming of the Messenger of the Covenant—Lectionary (RCL) Reflection for Advent 2C (Malachi 3:1-4)

 Malachi 3:1-4 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

3 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like washers’ soap; ³ he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. ⁴ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years.

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                The word we hear on the Second Sunday of Advent, also known as Peace Sunday, from the Book of Malachi, is that a messenger is headed our way. This messenger will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. This messenger will come to the Temple suddenly, rooted in the covenant God has made with the people. So, it’s time to get ready for that appearance. Is this not the message of Advent? We await the coming of the LORD our God, who comes to us in the form of a child born in Bethlehem. Not only does Advent call on God’s people to prepare for the incarnation, but it also carries a more apocalyptic message. That is, we await the coming of the Lord, who will judge the world.

                The reading from Malachi, which in Hebrew means “My Messenger,” takes us back to a time when Judean exiles had returned to their homeland and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. As for the date of this prophetic word, the scholarly consensus points to the Persian or Second Temple period of Judah’s history (sometime between 515 BCE when the Second Temple was completed, and 445 BCE, the time of Ezra). It is noteworthy that this book brings to a close the Book of the Twelve, also known as the Minor Prophets, as well as the Christian Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible divides into three sections: Torah, Prophets, and Writings, thus Malachi forms part of the Prophets and does not conclude the Hebrew Bible).

While the exile is over and the Temple has been rebuilt, the prophet speaks to the people during a time of trial. This word comes to the people at a time before Ezra and Nehemiah’s rise to the leadership of the people. It appears to have emerged during a period when commitment to the covenant has weakened, such that the messenger focuses on the spiritual condition of both the priesthood and the people of Judah, who are charged with breaking the covenant spoken of here in Malachi 3. The passage from Malachi that is best known to most Christians is Malachi 3:6-12, which charges the people with robbing God by withholding their tithes and offerings from the Temple (many a stewardship sermon has drawn on this passage!). But our reading for Advent doesn’t go there, so we can breathe a sigh of relief! When it comes to the date and the identity of the prophet, however, it is clear from our reading, and that there is a need for the people to get right with God. of the Lord. This promise brings with it a sense of dread because: “Who can endure the day of his coming?”

The reading for the day takes us to Malachi 3:1-4, but the oracle begins in Malachi 2:17. In that verse we hear the messenger declare: “You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’” The prophet lets the people know that they have wearied God by their words. The prophet mentions two examples since the people want to know how they have wearied God with their words. The first example of a wearying word is the charge that the ones who do evil are “good in the sight of the Lord.” In fact, God “delights in them.” The second example is their question: “Where is the God of justice?” In other words, they want to know why the wicked prosper and why God doesn’t appear to be enacting justice on their behalf.

With this charge made against the people, the prophet continues by speaking in Malachi 3:1 of the coming of a messenger who will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord of the Covenant. This word from the one known as “My Messenger” (Heb. Malachi) has an eschatological, even apocalyptic flavor. The messenger comes bearing a word from God that one is coming who will bring judgment upon the people. Therefore, it is time to get ready for judgment that will bring with it purification through fire and fuller’s or washer’s soap. The reason for this act of judgment is that the people of Judah/Israel have lost their way. They may be experiencing disillusionment with the state of their world. Even so, they seem less than ready to live according to the covenant. While the people may delight in the covenant, nevertheless, they may be less thrilled by the forms of purification that are to come. That is because God has determined that it is time for Judah to receive God’s verdict on them. Thus, who can stand before the one who comes to deliver God’s covenant message that requires purification?

                The prophet speaks to people who have lost their way, abusing the Temple, and seemingly unwilling to give of themselves to live out the covenant agreements. While they complain of corruption, they may themselves be complicit in it (though they may not see this happening in their own lives). Thus, the prophet calls the people to give an account of their lives on behalf of the Lord of Hosts (YHWH Zebaoth), who will come to the Temple bringing refiner’s fire and washer’s soap to cleanse and renew the community. Then, the priests and especially the Levites will become like fine gold and silver so they might present offerings to Yahweh in righteousness. When this happens, Judah’s and Jerusalem’s offerings to the LORD will be as it was in the days of old. Thus, we hear a word of restoration.

                We read this word from Malachi in partnership with the Gospel reading from Luke 3:1-6. In this passage from Luke, we read of the call of John the Baptist, who is described as being the one spoken of in Isaiah 40:3, who cries out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” This messenger proclaims a baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Lord. While Luke quotes from Isaiah, the message is similar to the one revealed in Malachi 3. Both prophets speak of messengers who call for the people to get ready for the coming of the Lord. One (Malachi) speaks of the one who brings purification through refining fire and washer’s soap, while the other Isaiah speaks of leveling mountains and making paths straight.

                As we head into a liturgical year that parallels a year fraught with unknowns, we hear a call to prepare ourselves for God to do something important in our midst. It is a call for a change of heart and mind, a time of refinement and cleansing. The problem we face is that while we may feel called to serve as moral agents in the world, that calling is too often compromised by the fact that we live in an immoral society. The systems of our day seem corrupt and unresponsive. We reward politicians despite their lack of moral fiber, which translates into political systems that are less than moral. Corporations cut corners and engage in predatory behaviors. Then there are all the stories about religious corruption, including sexual abuse at the top levels of religious leadership. We seem unable to respond. Yet here is a word of judgment on business as usual. The problem is that we often call for change but we complain when change brings with it pain and inconvenience. So, as we continue our Advent journey, we hear Malachi’s warning that one is coming who brings judgment and refinement. It might be painful but necessary. So, get ready! The call to prepare for the coming of the Lord stands at the heart of the Advent message.

                As I close this reflection, I want to come back to the thematic message of the day. That is Peace. We live in a world that rarely experiences any kind of peace. Right now, there are major wars in Ukraine, which have been going on for some two years. Then there is the ongoing conflict in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. So, might this call to present offerings in righteousness include responding positively to God’s call for God’s people to be peacemakers? As we ponder this question, might we also consider this word from Alan Gregory:

When Christians accept God’s calling, it is good news for the world, because the church, when it is willing to bear God’s refining, represents the glory of humanity as it exists in God’s desire. In the end, of course, what sustains the church, and all human beings touched by God’s grace, lies beyond the words of judgment, in the faithfulness with which God shall complete the loving work of creation.  [Connections, p. 20].

The point of refinement is preparation to participate with God in God’s work in the world, which is intended, if we are willing to join in, to lead to peace on earth and goodwill to all!