Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent (2)

Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Theme: GOD AND GOD ALONE

By: Fr. Karabari Paul

Homily for Wednesday April 6 2022

‘The king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon.’
Daniel 2:49

In the book of Daniel, we are told that King Nebuchadnezzar built a huge statue of himself, and then commanded everyone to bow down and worship it (Today’s First Reading, Daniel 3:1-28). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew they should only worship the true God. But they also knew that if they refused, they would be executed in a furnace. In spite if this, they made a decision to stand up for what was right, rather than bow down to what they knew was wrong. They chose to say to the king: ‘If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand’ (Daniel 3:17).

It is uncommon to expect this attitude from mere slaves in a foreign land since they had lost their true identity and freedom. Imagine having faith like this. Most of us could have come up with loads of rationalisations: ‘I am bowing down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside’, or ‘I will ask for forgiveness straight after’, or ‘I am no use to God if I am dead’. But when we compromise our integrity, when we take matters into our own hands, we don’t leave room for God’s intervention. If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had compromised their integrity and bowed to the statue, they would have missed out on the miracle that God was about to do for them. They would have forfeited their testimony by avoiding the test. They would have saved their lives, but sacrificed their integrity. And it was their integrity and their trust in God that allowed Him to show up and demonstrate His miraculous power. Their integrity paid off: ‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon’ (Daniel 3:30). God is true to His name and He will always defend it.

It is safe to say that anyone who builds a ninety-foot-tall statue to themselves is probably compensating for something. This statue was the epitome of pride. We all have a little Nebuchadnezzar in us. We would never build a ninety-foot-tall statue of ourselves, but we get upset when people don’t bow to our wishes. We would never throw someone into a fiery furnace, but our anger heats up when we don’t get our own way. We seek worship in more subtle ways. We exaggerate on our CV, put down others behind their back, and tell white lies to hide the grey areas of our lives. If you don’t find your identity and security in what Christ has accomplished for you on the cross, you will hide your insecurities behind your hypocrisy. You will try to fight your own battles, create your own opportunities, bless yourself if God doesn’t bless you the way you desire and establish your own reputation.

But let us remember that two scriptures define the fall of King Saul: 1) ‘Then Saul built an altar to the LORD’ (1 Samuel 14:35). 2) ‘Saul…set up a monument to himself’ (1 Samuel 15:12). And Samuel saw right through the smoke screen: ‘Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel?’ (1 Samuel 15:17). You know who builds monuments to themselves? Those who think little of themselves! And the more insecure a person is, the more monuments they need to build. There is a fine line between ‘Thy kingdom come’ and ‘My kingdom come’. If you cross that line, your relationship with God is self-serving. You aren’t serving Him, you are using Him. You aren’t building altars to God; you are building monuments to yourself. And that is idolatry. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. Almighty Father, grant us the grace of true worship. May we never allow anything to take your place in our lives. Bless us and our household always through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning.

Fr. Karabari Paul