Daniel 3:1, 8-30 on November 30th, 2025
Above is audio of the sermon pulled from the video and amplified.
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Donald Trump's hair, Joe Biden's squinty eyes, Barack Obama's ears, George W's ears, in political cartoons all those things get exaggerated. They are meant to mock, sometimes kind heartedly, but most of the time not. In these types of cartoons typically combine artistic skill, exaggeration and satire to question authority and draw attention to corruption, political differences or societal ills. Their point is to poke fun at political leaders, to make us smile or laugh or roll our eyes in the midst of things that might make us want to cry. The humor and the mockery of political leaders helps us defend against feelings of helplessness and anxiety.
The biblical story of the fiery furnace is a political cartoon of sorts full of hyperbole. It is meant to mock the powers that be, including all the verses that we end up skipping over. The long lists of officials are repeated over and over. The same musical instruments are named several times. The furnace is heated up to seven times the normal amount. All of these are meant to tease the pump and the arrogance of King Nebuchadnezzar and pretty much every other king. It's satire, it's humor, it's meant to laugh at earthly rulers, reassure listeners and shine a light on a different truth.
As the story begins, Nebuchadnezzar has built a massive golden statue. It is a 90 feet high and nine feet across. Think of a statue that is ten times as high as it is wide, it's ridiculous. But regardless, the king commands all to bow before it. Everyone must worship my statue. Thus, the conflict begins. The command directly challenges the faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king tells them, if you don't worship my statue, you'll be pitched into a roaring furnace. Who is the God that can rescue you from my power? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faithfulness to God is exemplary. While the narrator mocks, these three are serious saints. They tell the king, your threats mean nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, God will save us from your furnace. Anything else that you can cook up? It's pretty amazing.
What examples? What icons of the faith? So we read this story and we remember those lessons from Sunday school. Be bold, be brave for the Lord that I, God, is with thee. Do as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego do. Stay perfect in your faith and God will save you from everything. Trust and the fire won't burn you, believe, and all the difficulties melt away. Have faith and God will save you from absolutely everything, even politics. Ah, so now it is I who is mocking a little bit. Even though following this admirable faith example, even though following that example is admirable, it's probably the lesson that we ended up, we learned growing up, but it can't really be right. At least it can't be all there is. Is salvation is being saved a mere formula? Are the results really in our control? And if we don't get the desired result, if we get burned a little bit, does that mean we didn't have enough faith?
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faith that God could save them is exemplary, but that is not the point of the chapter. So if that's not it, what is it? There are three little words that open up this story for people like us. After the three assert that their God can deliver them, then they say, but if not, but if not. In the midst of mocking our world and its leaders among miracles and saving this story takes a sober turn into something very, very real. But if not, cuts to a deeper truth that frightens us a little bit, but maybe in the midst of all the mockery, we can hear it for what it is. Who can save you? This cartoon character of a leader, or the God of Israel. While Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego don't put their trust in earthly leaders or those idols that they pedal, it seems like they aren't totally confident in God to save them either. But if not, expresses doubt, doesn't it? But I hear it differently. God can save us, but if not, we still trust God to do what is right, to have us, to be who God is. That is confidence in God either way. That is trust that God holds them, fire or not. It is faith no matter what happens, even in the face of earthly arrogance and narcissism.
In this faith is not a transaction with God. God is not a vending machine where we insert our faithfulness and outcomes the reward that we are seeking. If we do this, God, then you have to do that. Instead, these three show absolute faith. Trusting in God and in God's salvation, even in the trials, the pains, the fires of this world. They aren't in it to gain anything for themselves. They know who God is and that God isn't absent, even in those fiery times, no matter what happens. We don't include, but if not, too often in our prayers, because it's hard. But if not, it's hard to pray when faced with a fiery furnace. But if not, it's hard to pray in a hospital room. But if not, it's hard to pray when we so desperately want something else. But if not, God still has you. God can save heal deliver, but if not, God still saves heals delivers.
For proof, look at the life of Jesus. If faithfulness is what keeps one from pain, suffering, and death, well, Jesus qualified for a pretty cushy life. And yet the Son of God, the light of the world, the way the truth in life was put on trial, wrongly convicted, suffered under Pontius Pilate. It was crucified, died, and was buried. Let this cup pass from me, Jesus prayed. But if not, but if not, I know you still have me. The lesson here isn't that our faithfulness saves us, so only God can do that type of saving. Instead, we learn to trust God's promise in the midst of it all. And trusting that promise, no matter what gives us hope, hope that in all things, through all things, despite all things, God will save. And that kind of faith frees us and gives us that ability to mock those things in our world that pretend to save us, because they can't. They won't.
In a way, this story is less of a lesson and more of a promise. God, and only God can spare us from the fiery furnaces of this world, though sometimes God doesn't. Yet God is with you in the fire. And even more than that, God's purposes can be accomplished in, with, and through the fire. We want to be saved from the furnaces, from the powers, from the crosses of our world. But if not, God still has us. But if not, God is still present, standing with us in the midst of the flames. But if not, God has a way of rolling back tombstones. But if not, God will resurrect something new. In this Advent season, we await a coming King who can save, does save, will save, once and for all. We know the promise. We trust the promise. We hope for that promise to be fulfilled. And we stand faithful in the midst of a world that calls us to worship so many other things, strengthened by a common communion meal for given and loved, sealed by the ultimate, but if not sign of the cross. So as we watch and we wait in this Advent season, may that cross shape to promise steady your hearts. Trusting that the God who saves, heals, and delivers, is already walking with us through every fire we face.