Fit for a King
Ben Roberts

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4
“Look! I’m sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you’ve been looking for will enter his Temple—yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you’ve been waiting for. Look! He’s on his way!” A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance?

He’ll be like white-hot fire from the smelter’s furnace. He’ll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry. He’ll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of dirty clothes. He’ll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they’re fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness. Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to God, as they used to be in the years long ago.

Devotional:
Every now and again it is important to look at your life and take stock. For me this happens about twice a year during new years. But wait you say, there is only one start to the year. True, but I would argue that day is September 1st, not January 1st.  If you are in school or you have kids, you know what I mean. But since we are closer to January than September, I will concede the popular notion. It’s a new year. Time to take stock.

In today’s scripture, the writer of Malachi uses the imagery of a silver refiner. When some metals are heated, their impurities come to the top. The refiner’s job is to skim off that slag and leave only the purer metal. So it should be with our faith journey.

As I move through time, my experiences are like the fire that transforms the metal. I see evil or injustice in the world and it tends to make me angry and incensed. But shortly after I see the faults of the world, I begin to reflect on my own hypocrisy. The fire that reveals evil out there also exposes hypocrisy in here.

That is why regular reflection matters. Only God can reveal all my impurities and skim off my slag. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called this sanctifying grace. It is the lifelong pursuit of perfection to be like Christ.  

While I would like to achieve perfection, that particular goal will never be reached, this side of the grave.  

But does that mean I should give up the pursuit? Hardly. It is basically the whole purpose of our faith journey. In Malachi’s time, he was looking the future for the “refiner” that would make us fit to see God.

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that Jesus is that refiner. His life shows us the precious metal that endures. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to discard the slag.

Which brings me back to the new year. As I examine the last few months, it is clear to me that both the world, and by extension, my own life has been out of kilter (to put it mildly). I pray that God removes the impurities and helps me to realign my life after the example of Christ.

Prayer:
Jesus, you have given me the perfect example of being a person in this world.  As I try to follow your example, I see that time and time again, I have come up short. Remove from me these impurities and help me to move in the direction that leads to eternal life.