Daily Readings - Wed Mar 24 2021
Daniel
13Then Nebuchadnezzar, in fury and in wrath, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be brought, and so, without delay, they were brought before the king14And king Nebuchadnezzar addressed them and said, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the gold statue, which I have set up?15Therefore, if you are prepared now, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe, lute, harp and psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, prostrate yourselves and adore the statue which I have made. But if you will not adore, in the same hour you will be cast into the furnace of burning fire. And who is the God that will rescue you from my hand?"16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, "It is not right for us to obey you in this matter17For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to rescue us from the oven of burning fire and to free us from your hands, O king18But even if he will not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not worship your gods, nor adore the gold statue, which you have raised up."19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the appearance of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated to seven times its usual fire20And he ordered the strongest men of his army to bind the feet of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire24And they were walking in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord49But the angel of the Lord descended with Azariah and his companions into the furnace; and he cast the flame of the fire out of the furnace50And he made the middle of the furnace like the blowing of a damp wind, and the fire did not touch them, nor afflict them, nor bother them at all91Then king Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he quickly got up and said to his nobles: "Did we not cast three men shackled into the midst of the fire?" Answering the king, they said, "True, O king.92He answered and said, "Behold, I see four men unbound and walking in the midst of the fire, and no harm is in them, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.93Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the furnace of burning fire, and he said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the supreme God, come out and approach." And immediately Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went out from the midst of the fire94And when the governors, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the powerful of the king had gathered together, they considered these men because the fire had no power against their bodies, and not a hair of their head had been scorched, and their pants had not been affected, and the smell of the fire had not passed onto them95Then Nebuchadnezzar, bursting out, said, "Blessed is their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who believed in him. And they altered the verdict of the king, and they delivered up their bodies, so that they would not serve or adore any god except their God
John
31Therefore, Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him: "If you will abide in my word, you will truly be my disciples32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.33They answered him: "We are the offspring of Abraham, and we have never been a slave to anyone. How can you say, ‘You shall be set free?’ 34Jesus answered them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin35Now the slave does not abide in the house for eternity. Yet the Son does abide in eternity36Therefore, if the Son has set you free, then you will truly be free37I know that you are sons of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word has not taken hold in you38I speak what I have seen with my Father. And you do what you have seen with your father.39They responded and said to him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them: "If you are the sons of Abraham, then do the works of Abraham40But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you, which I have heard from God. This is not what Abraham did41You do the works of your father." Therefore, they said to him: "We were not born out of fornication. We have one father: God.42Then Jesus said to them: "If God were your father, certainly you would love me. For I proceeded and came from God. For I did not come from myself, but he sent me
Sermon
The readings today present powerful narratives of faith, freedom, and the transformative power of God. In the first reading, we hear the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three young men who refuse to worship the golden statue erected by King Nebuchadnezzar. Despite the king's fury and the threat of being cast into a fiery furnace, they remain steadfast in their faith, trusting that God will deliver them. Miraculously, they are saved, and the king himself comes to acknowledge the power of their God. This story reminds us of the enduring strength of faith in the face of adversity.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to the Jews who believed in him, offering a profound teaching about freedom. He says, "If you abide in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The Jews, however, resist this idea, clinging to their identity as descendants of Abraham and rejecting the notion of slavery. Jesus responds by highlighting the slavery of sin and the true freedom that comes through him. This exchange underscores the spiritual freedom that only God can offer, a freedom that transcends earthly identities and circumstances.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of true freedom and the courage required to live by faith. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we are called to stand firm in our beliefs, even when the world around us demands compromise. And like the Jews in the Gospel, we must confront the ways in which sin can enslave us, trusting instead in the liberating power of Christ. May we seek to abide in God's truth, allowing it to set us free from all that binds us, and may we live with the courage and faith to follow Him, no matter the cost.