I lead a noon time prayer Tuesday through Friday on Facebook Live. Part of this is meditating on the day's passages from the daily lectionary. Today we looked at Daniel 3:19-30 and Revelation 18:21-24.
The passage in Daniel is about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow before the statue of Nebuchadnezzar. We struggle to envision this story in our own day and assume that if we had been alive then we would have refused to bow like these three men. I mean, what kind of ruler would display their image and expect people to bow before it, and who would, claiming to be a person of God, bow their knee to such an image?
However, using symbols to solidify national identity and as a test of the allegiance of the people has been normal throughout history. From Nebuchadnezzar with this statue to Caesar requiring daily sacrifices in his honor throughout the Roman empire to modern day practices of saluting the flag and standing for the national anthem or saying a pledge of allegiance. On the surface each of these things may appear to be different, but when we consider their purpose the similarities become apparent. Each uses an easily recognized symbol in order to further a narrative of global greatness, increase patriotic allegiance, and create a simple ritual for everyone to bond together in their trust of their political authorities.
The interesting thing in this passage in Daniel 3, is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had already been serving the king for a while and had even risen to a level of power and authority within his government, despite the fact that they were always clear on who they were and that they served God rather than people. They were the same Jewish men who had refused to eat the king's food and, after it was shown that they were healthier on their own diet, the king happily accommodated them. But here as they defy this ritual of political allegiance, we read, "Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with them, and his attitude toward them changed." As long as their desire to serve God rather than people, and specifically to serve God rather than the king, benefited the project of the empire, the king was happy to oblige and allow them to live their lives as they saw fit. But, as soon as they went public, when their act of disobedience called into question the greatness of the king, unmasked the narrative that the empire was the agent of salvation in the world, and had the potential of drawing others to their point of view, the kings attitude toward them changed, and it changed quickly.
We go on to read, "The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot" that the soldiers who carried these men died before they even made it to the fire.
When we say, "Jesus is king", we don't take much heat in our culture because we do not have anyone called "king" that Jesus' authority challenges. As long as our version of following Jesus doesn't disrupt the ways and methods of the empires we live in, we won't be noticed and might even rise to levels of power and authority. But when obeying Jesus means disregarding precious symbols of allegiance, such as refusing to stand for the national anthem or refusing to say the pledge of allegiance, the attitudes of those around us can change very quickly.
It is interesting to see in Revelation 18, the second reading for today, how John uses Babylon to refer to Rome and then point forward to every empire that will come after. In the end, the indictment against each of these nations who strive for supremacy, for greatness, is that they will be totally destroyed because, "By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In [you] was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
May we, God's people, not be caught up in the magic spell of empire worship. May we not ignore the innocent victims of the machine of the empires around us. May we not bend our knee, may we stand strong without fear, may we worship Jesus alone, the true and only king.
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