Bartholomew the jeweler stormed into the workshop and slammed a cloth bag down on the workbench. The heavy metal objects inside rattled from the impact.
“What are you trying to sell me?” he demanded as he tore at the drawstrings and dumped the contents onto the bench.
The commotion caught Jason’s attention. From the corner of the workshop he rested his hammer on the giant stone in order to hear the jeweler’s complaint. He had been hammering chunks of rocky ore into small pebbles all morning. His sore arm needed a break from the work, and this was a good time for a rest.
Meanwhile, Jason’s father rushed to Bartholomew to deal with the angry customer.
“What is the problem?” Jason’s father asked.
“Look at this silver.” The jeweler held up a shiny bar. “Do you see all of the dark specks? It’s full of impurities. There is no way I can make my jewelry out of this useless metal.” He shook is finger at Jason. “Your boy delivered this to my shop yesterday while I was away. You must replace it with fine silver at once, or I will take my business elsewhere!”
“Yes, of course. Please wait. I will be right back.” Jason’s father raced to the back of the silversmith’s shop and tugged open a heavy, wooden door. He examined a silver bar that he removed from the closet shelf. Gathering a handful of his finest silver, he returned to his waiting customer.
“I’m terribly sorry for the low-quality bars. Returning them must be a great inconvenience for you. It will not happen again, I promise.”
Bartholomew examined each bar before dropping it into the sack. When the last bar was found to be acceptable, he nodded, turned and left.
Jason lowered he head and began hammering the rock. He sensed his father standing over him, and almost felt his gaze.
“I can’t believe you did that. I trusted you to produce fine silver, instead you gave this useless metal to one of my best customers. If word gets out that my silver is of low value, it will ruin my business.
When his father finish scolding him, Jason sighed. He expected a long list of extra chores would be coming his way as punishment for cutting corners.
The next morning Jason entered the silversmith shop. It was rare that his father was not the first one in the shop. Since he had been taught the silver refining process, he just went to work, expecting his father to appear any moment. He put a handful of pebbles that he had pounded down the day before into a stone grinder and began to turn the handle.
After an hour’s work, the raspy sound of the stone grew tiresome. He looked up to find Levi entering the workshop. He was happy to see his best friend, and to take a break from grinding.
“Jason, did you hear the news?” Levi asked.
“No. What news?”
“There will be a traveling music group performing in the marketplace tonight. Are you going? Everyone will be there.”
“Yes, I’ll be going. I hope this act is a good as the one last month. The fire juggling was amazing.”
“I’m sure will be a lot of fun. I’ll come by later, so we can go together,” said Levi on his way out the door.
Jason hurried to finish his work. He swept the ore power from the grinder into a clay pot. Then he poured another batch of pebbles in and repeated the process.
“Jason?” his mother called out before appearing in the doorway.
“I’m here.”
The young silversmith noticed a worried look in his mother’s eyes, “What’s the matter?”
“It’s your father. He’s become will with fever.”
“Will he recover?” Jason asked.
“I don’t know. The doctor will be here soon. Hopefully he can tell us more.”
Jason was not callus to this father’s health, but his first thought was a selfish one, “This means more work for me.”
“I’m so thankful that you are able to keep the workshop running,” a faint smile appeared on his mother’s lips.
“Remember when our neighbor Timothy came down with the fever. He recovered and is well now.”
“I pray that your father recovers as well,” said Jason’s mother before exiting the workshop.
Jason ground ore all afternoon. His mind grew numb with boredom. He envied Levi, who didn’t have to labor in the stuffy workshop. Levi had been chosen to study under the rabbi. Instead of hammering and grinding ore all day, Levi studied the Holy Scriptures.
“Memorizing scripture is difficult work,” Levi would say.
Deep down Jason believed Levi, but always argued that he had it easy.
About midafternoon his friend arrived at the shop, “Jason let’s go.”
“I can’t. My father has the fever.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he gets well soon.”
“I hope so. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Shortly after Levi left, Jason dumped the ore power into the pot.
“That’s good enough for one day,” he told himself, closed the shop, and went home for the day.
Two days later the young silversmith entered the workshop with a glowing ember from his mother’s oven. He placed it in the furnace and then rushed to add kindling and scraps of wood. Before the fire took hold, a familiar voice called from the front of the shop.
“Good morning,” Bartholomew announced himself.
“Yes sir. How may I help you?” Jason answered the valued customer.
“Have you any silver? I need ten bars.”
Jason hid his surprise. With his father still fighting the illness, silver production slowed to a crawl. His stock had dwindled down to two bars.
“I sorry, but I only have two bars,” Jason waited for a harsh reaction.
“Very well. I will return the first thing tomorrow morning. I’m sure you will have it ready then. And remember, it must be the highest quality. Good day.”
Jason’s heart sank. Producing eight bars of high-quality silver in one day would be nearly impossible. But what choice did he have. He could not risk losing Bartholomew as a customer. Besides, his mother had explained the grave state of the family finances. The debt collector would be demanding payment soon. Jason was afraid to ask what would happen if the debt was not paid on time. He knew the outcome would not be good.
Upon returning to the furnace, he found the ember had gone out. This would cost him precious time. He ran to fetch another ember. The second attempt was successful, and the fire roared to life. For nearly an hour Jason stoked the fire with charcoal to get it as hot as possible.
When the time was right Jason added the ore power and pumped the billow to increase the heat. Another hour ticked by, but the ore remained solid. Jason worked the billow until beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Finally, the ore turned to liquid. However, the work was far from over.
After a while, Jason blew a puff of air over the surface of the silver. A cloud of dust filled the air, a sign that the impurities were being removed. But the liquid remained a dark gray, far from the fine silver that the jeweler demanded.
The young silversmith repeated the process over and over. He stoked the fire, pumped the bellow, and blew away the dross. By late afternoon he grew weary. His face smeared with sweat and soot, he wanted to just give up. But he could not let his family down. He had to keep working.
By evening he peered into the surface of the silver and found his clear reflection looking back. The silver was now pure and ready for the waiting molds. He poured the liquid into the first mold and then the second. The silver streamed into the third mold but ran out before the mold was full.
Now the sun had set, and he still had five more bars to produce. He fought back the urge to break down and sob.
Late into the night Jason tended the fire and the batch of silver so large that the furnace was nearly overflowing. Again, and again he blew off the dross. He was beyond exhausted but kept laboring.
Well after midnight he blew a puff of air over the silver, but no dust appeared. It was ready.
The young silversmith gazed into the surface of the silver to find a pair of tired eyes looking back. Then, another image appeared. Next to him, his father’s face appeared. A bright smile appeared on his lips that spoke a simple message, “well done.”
***
What was Jason’s attitude at the beginning of the story?
As disciples of Jesus, what should our attitude be?
Read Zachariah 13:9 and Psalm 66:10
Why does God want to refine his followers?
How does God refine us?
Is it a pleasant process?
Is it worth going through the refiner’s fire?