Advent
December 1, 2015

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 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. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. –Malachi 2b-4

There is a little, relatively small, gadget in my kitchen designed to sharpen knives. It works really well, although it does require some elbow grease as it is not electric. It has one groove that is rougher for sharpening the dulled blade and one that is designed to hone the blade to its final form. It works on small paring knives, the larger chopping ones, and everything in between. I have found it is best to routinely pass the blades through this little machine for if you let a knife go too long, it will take a lot more work to get it back to its intended sharpness. Of course it will not work on serrated knives but they are not supposed to ever need sharpening. I have not found that to be the case.

Malachi identifies the one who is coming as one who will act as a refiner, sharping us to be prepared always for our Kingdom work. We are called now to be about the business of keeping ourselves ready and able to do God’s bidding as God calls. Jesus talked about it being like bridesmaids keeping their lamps full of oil awaiting the bridegroom’s arrival. (Matthew 25:10)

The lesson of the serrated knives is more complex. If we do not think we ever need to be sharpened, we may think we are fully prepared for the Kingdom when we are not.

Prayer: Hone me, O Lord, cleanse me of all that separates me from you. Forgive me when I assume there is nothing more I can learn to help me serve you better. Equip me to be a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15b) Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.