Read Today’s Scripture
Daniel 3:25–27,34–43
Matthew 18:21–35
“The idol of our egos”
Today’s Daniel reading can really be found as a separate Apocryphal book called “Song of the Three Young Men”. But why read the Apocrypha? The Apocrypha has interesting importance in Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer says that the Apocrypha is not for matters of doctrine, but instructs us in morals and inspires us with faithful exemplars. So, today’s Daniel reading is about learning to pray like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (Daniel’s compatriots) whom we commonly remember as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Dan 1:6-7). They were given a choice by the idolatrous King Nebuchadnezzar: worship his idol, or be thrown into a fiery furnace. They realize however that the real choice is between idolatry and eternal death, versus civil disobedience, a temporary furnace and eternal life. They chose the latter (Dan 3:1-30)! And, God delivers them from the power of idolatrous Nebuchadnezzar! Today, we may not have to worry about idolatrous statues. Rather, the idol we should be concerned about is our ego and its desire to displace Jesus as the Lord of our hearts. For example, in today’s Matthew reading, it’s the slave’s ego that prevents him from forgiving a tiny debt, even though he had been forgiven a debt six hundred thousand times bigger (Mt 18:24, 28)! Our egos are our own worst enemies. Yet, fasting is a good discipline to keep our egos at bay. Fasting doesn’t just create space in our lives, but allows God to fill those spaces with his presence. Fasting dethrones our egos, and puts Christ back on the throne of our hearts.
Collect
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given a hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
