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Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
The Word of the Lord.
***
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Our first reading from the Book of Daniel seems strange. Almost magical. Miraculous.
Three men are thrown into a white-hot furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar because they will not worship false idols. They will only worship the God of Israel.
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves,” they say. “If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace, may he save us!”
And he does.
As the flames rage, an angel appears, comforting the three men, who are seen walking amidst the flames. Miraculously, God delivers his servants from death because of their faith.
***
Sometimes life has a way of throwing all of us into the furnace.
Not that literal, blazing hot oven these three men were once thrown into, but the figurative kind of furnace.
Think of those who wrestle with fear, anxiety, or mental illness. Others who feel like they’ve lost their path in life. Those who are worried about their health, their finances, their marriage, or their future.
Such experiences threaten to burn away our faith, hope, and peace.
***
Remember the three men from our first reading who stood firmly in their faith, even when faced with the white-hot furnace. The Lord sent an angel to protect them.
God will do the same for us when tested. We shall not be consumed nor tried beyond our strength, because, “We can do all things – even walk through fire – through Christ who strengthens us.”
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Image credits: (1) Holy Fire of the Holy Ghost, LinkedIn (2) I’ve Had an Epiphany!, Blogger (3) FaithPot