Thoughts for the Day

The word of the Lord, by Malachi.

A son honours his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honour due to me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due to me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, ‘How have we polluted it?’ By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favour? says the Lord of hosts....

I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and the food for it may be despised. ‘What a weariness this is’, you say, and you sniff at me, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The last book in the Old Testament is Malachi. His names means "Messenger". He lived in Judah, just after Nehemiah had rebuilt Jerusalem after the return from exile in Babylon, around 400 years before Jesus. It's a time of waiting, for God seems to have forgotten His people. The temple has been completed but nothing amazing has indicated God's presence among His people, and the priests have got lax about their duties. Malachi's words are very appropriate today for those times when God feels far away, and we begin to take our Christian duties less seriously.

When my grandparents and their children lived in Costa Rica in the 1920s and 30s they were joined by an Uncle and his family. My mother would tell us that when in doubt as to whether some food was "going off" her Aunt would feed it to her husband because "he had no sense of taste or smell".

Are we like this with God, offering Him the least we can get away with? Malachi reminds us that we are to offer God the best worship we can give Him, and corporate worship requires all of us to be involved. Each church is different but can we help in some way - to produce written material or posters; wash altar linen; clean the candle sticks; put out chairs; read a lesson; drive people to church; or lead the prayers? Oh, and how often do we pray for those who lead our worship week by week?

Heavenly Father,
You are our Creator,
our Saviour and our Enabler.
We praise You and honour You
knowing that we owe You everything -
all that we are,
and all that we might become.
May we offer to You the best of our worship,
and the bes of our love and our life.
Amen.