King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Now, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I made, whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, then all will be well; if not, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshack, 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, you should know, O king that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”
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.
They were bound and cast into the white-hot furnace with their trousers, shirts, hats and other garments, for the king’s order was urgent. So huge a fire was kindled in the furnace that the flames devoured the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into it.
But they walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord. Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud: Blessed are you and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our ancestors and glorious forever is your name. For you are just in all you have done; all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right, and all your judgments proper. You have executed proper judgments in all that you have brought upon us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our ancestors. By a proper judgment you have done all this because of our sins.
(Daniel 3: 14-28)
The faith of the three men who were thrown into the furnace in the first reading for Mass today is astonishing. Can you imagine a more painful way to die than to be burned alive? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew what they were facing if they disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar, and yet they told him, to his face, that they would not betray their God. They would rather be burned alive than to worship any other god than the one, true God. These three men honored the ten commandments with their very life.
There are a multitude of modern men and women that could learn a few things about loyalty, integrity and faith, from these three men who chose to be burned alive rather than break one of the ten commandments. This kind of faith is virtually unheard of in our modern society. Many Catholics and non-Catholics alike resist “the rules” as being too strict and not loving enough. But, look at the result of these men’s adherence to the rules. What was the most loving act in the end? No one could have blamed them for trying to save their lives and maybe worship their God in private. That would seem to be the most loving act on the surface of things. But, because of these three men who testified to their belief in God by sacrificing their lives rather than betray God, they earned the respect and conversion of a king, something that benefited their entire nation. Who could have known in advance that this would have been the outcome of such a dire situation?
The next verse in this scripture reading that was not part of our reading for Mass today, goes on to say that King Nebuchadnezzar made a decree after this event, that no one in his country was permitted to ever talk against their God or else they would be put to death. Because of the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego honored the commandments to the death, it caused a king and an entire nation’s conversion. The magnitude of love that came into the world in the long run, far outweighed any small benefit they might have tried to retain for themselves, if they had attempted to save their own lives. God took a very great evil and turned it into a much greater good. An entire nation’s salvation had been dependent upon three ordinary men’s actions, something they could not have been aware of at the time.
Compare the faith of these three men who were thrown in the furnace to the Jews who were trying to kill Jesus, that he talks about in today’s gospel (John 8:31-42). Jesus said that they were trying to kill him because his word had no room among them. The Jewish people had no faith in Jesus and did not believe he really was the son of God, and yet, God’s own son stood right in front of them in the flesh. What more proof did they need? The miracles Christ performed spoke for themselves of his divinity. The three men in the furnace we just read about did not have any physical proof whatsoever that God existed, and yet they believed in him. God’s word was retained so deeply in their hearts that they sacrificed their lives for Him.
Both of the readings for Mass today reflect the fact that we either have faith, or we don’t. No amount of physical evidence will ever prove to people, to their satisfaction, that God is real, and that Jesus Christ really was His son. This is the most important reason that we are alive, to make this decision for ourselves. Has God’s words in the old testament taken root in our hearts enough that we obey His commandments? Have the words of Jesus Christ taken root in our hearts to the point that we love him more than anything or anyone else in our lives?
Jesus said in today’s gospel, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, as you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The commandments preserve us from sin, which the three men in the furnace so clearly demonstrates in the first reading for Mass today. Jesus reiterates our need to be free from sin too. But Jesus also told us in another place in the gospel that His sheep know the sound of His voice. This is the voice of faith that we instinctively know in the depths of our heart. This is our deepest recognition of knowing the truth when we hear it. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
Faith is a choice we make. It is the most important choice we will ever make during our lives and there is no middle ground. You either believe in God or you don’t. Jesus Christ is either God’s son or he isn’t. The choice lies before us, like the Jewish people in today’s gospel. We need to make a clear decision, stick with it, and live it out in our lives, or not. We can’t have it both ways. Doubt has no place in our lives if we call ourselves Christians. We should never doubt God’s love, care, and concern for us. He is as close as the air we breathe, and Jesus’ true presence lives inside of us and accompanies us every moment of our lives.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!