Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lived in the time of Israel’s exile and captivity in Babylon where all citizens were required to accept the religion imposed by the king. The three young men maintained their adherence to their faith in God and the practices outlined in the Old Testament while living in the midst of the foreign culture and the king’s regulations. Finally, in a rage, the king orders them thrown into a furnace. The three young men survive the experience through the help of an angel. The truth of their faith produced a confidence in the presence and action of God in their lives Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found truth and life by relying only on God. This event of faithfulness in the face of persecution and difficulty captured the imagination of the early Christian communities. It is one of the first expressions of Christian art in the catacombs and the song of the three young men is an early liturgical hymn.
Jesus shares with the people in the temple area his experience of living in the truth of being one with the Father and having a complete confidence in God the Father. He called them to share and live that truth. This time of Lent is an opportunity to listen to Jesus’ call to abandon our tendency to rely on other things and to put other things before God. Faith calls us to live in the fiery furnace with confidence in the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit.