The readings today are very reflective of the season in which we are. They present us with the loving interest of God over His people for their salvation. The prophet Malachi in the first reading prophesies the sending of the messenger of the Lord to prepare the way before him. And the prophesied messenger is no other than John the Baptist as identified in Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2 and Luke 7:27. He is the one God refers to as ‘my messenger’ sent ‘to prepare the way before me’ (Malachi 3:1). He is entrusted with the duty of preparing the mind and hearts of the people to accept the Messiah when he comes.
The Messenger of the King in African Tradition
The prophecy of Malachi of sending a messenger before the coming of the Son of Man always reminds me of the antiquity practice in most African cultures where messengers are sent to announce the coming of their kings to community gatherings during festivals. The messenger carries out this assignment with the sounding of some traditional gongs to let the people know the route of the king in attending the gathering. He would not only announce the route of the king but would also warn people to keep off the route in order not to delay the king who would be plying the route with his entourage. The messenger normally would blow the pipe, announcing the arrival of the king to the festival for the people to rise and welcome him with ovations. They would all await on him to take his seat before every other person as the messenger would direct. The announcer is simply the king’s messenger. That’s exactly the duty of John the Baptist as announced by Malachi. He was appointed by the Lord to fulfil this ministry for Jesus.
What Accompanies the Coming of the Messiah
As God has a special interest over his people, he always bears in mind the ultimate purpose of his creation. He has created man and woman to know him, love him, and worship him in this world and be with him in the world to come. He would always look forward to the ultimate fulfilment of this purpose. No wonder Malachi makes it clear that no one can stop nor resist his coming for the salvation of his people. But his coming is both a promise and a warning. It would come with some pain and joy for it would involve a refining and cleansing process designed for the well-being of all by the Messiah. He would come into our midst as Emmanuel. He would come to destroy the spirit of evil and fill us with a new life in him. Though the refining would be a painful one, it would be one that would fill us with great joy at the end.
The Duty of the Coming Messiah
The duties assigned to the Messiah are well articulated by Malachi. According to him, the Messiah would be the refiner and purifier of his people. He would purify them of all their corrupt practices. The process would be for the good of the people as He would patiently wait on them to transform them. His posture in doing this signifies real support, care, and love over his people especially the sons of Levi so that they can once more offer sacrifice to the Lord as it should be done. The end duty of the Messiah is just salvation of all.
Identification and the Duty of the Messenger
Malachi, in concluding the message of today affirms once more that God will be sending Elijah the prophet to prepare for his coming. And scholars have identified Elijah to be John the Baptist whose duty will be to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers lest the Lord strike the land with a curse. This entails calling the people to repentance and this has been evident in the mission of John through this advent season. He calls on all to prepare for coming of the Lord by making his ways straight so that Christ would be born into our hearts at Christmas. We, therefore, need to listen to the clarion call of John and get ready. And may Christ be born into the temple of our hearts at this time. Amen!
Bravo and Happy Christmas to everyone.
