Tuesday, March 03, 2020

The Lion's Den from Daniel 6

So…

Lots of us have heard the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. And for the most part I suspect what we remember is the Sunday School version, which for obvious reasons tends to focus on Daniel getting throw into a pit with hungry beasts, and all those cute fuzzy lions deciding they really aren’t in the mood for a bit of scrawny Daniel, deciding instead to go vegetarian.

And we remember it that way, because how exactly do you explain that normally hungry lions would have killed and eaten Daniel in a huge horrible blood bath! No EMPOWER teacher is going to do that!

Besides that, how do you explain to children the palace intrigue, where Daniel “the captive from Jerusalem”, a Jew, who is once again the king’s favorite, this with at least the third king of Babylon, a “Mede” (that is a king from Median/Persian empire of Cyrus the Great).

How do you explain that this old man, Daniel who was at least sixty years old if not older, is in trouble because he chooses to be faithful, something he has done and has been for life, in spite of others who are envious of him and wanting to destroy him!

This is not the story you tell children! But you folks, he’s the real story!

Daniel is a foreigner. And they like don’t like foreigners. They want them to go home or at least never be seen or heard from! They are suspicious of their loyalties. They are suspicious of their diets. They are suspicious of their hard work and success. They are suspicious of their religion.

Remember, my brother-in-law emigrated from India, New Delhi in fact, and is Hindu, and a computer science wiz. He is a naturalized US citizen, and his children, my niece and nephews, my sister’s kids, all know what it is like to be considered an unwanted minority.

The satraps, the royal officials working for the king and the other governors were afraid of Daniel. They were afraid of Daniel’s God. They are also afraid of the king’s loyalty to Daniel, and perceive Daniel as a threat.

So, they propose a very sophisticated trap.

Have you ever been tempted to not do what you believed you should do, because someone else has made clear the consequences of doing it?

I know, the negatives in that sentence are a bit overwhelming, so think about it this way: have you ever done something that you knew would get you in trouble, even though you were doing it for the right reasons?

In trouble as in being thrown into a pit of hungry lions with a massive stone as a cover to the pit, royal seals on it to make sure it is not opened before the appointed time, and military guards standing watch to make sure that cover is not removed.
Does that remind you of another story?

Perhaps, when Daniel emerges from the tomb?

You see, like I mentioned Wednesday night at the Ash Wednesday service, temptation, like Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after forty days of fasting, can be bold or subtle.

Just make the stones into bread, no one cares. Eat!

Daniel is not being asked to worship an idol, something he clearly couldn’t do. No, the satraps temptation is smooth, easy, and very subtle. It’s not “worship the idol” like for Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego.

No, it’s “you only have to refrain from praying for 30 days”.

It’s almost like Lent in reverse.

Not pray for forty days! It’s simpler. Don’t pray! So easy. Made for us faithful folks to fit like a glove. Just forget, be too busy, fall asleep before you get that far.

Don’t decide to use Lent as a season to grow your faith by perhaps fasting from the crazy stuff that is making you tense and miserable and far from God, like Facebook!

Don’t decide to do something that would draw you closer to God like writing down the first five blessings you experience each day in a blessings journal.

No, just be too busy, too overwhelmed, too stressed, to do anything of the sort, because then those hungry lions can have you as a snack.

Can’t you just picture those soldiers opening the tomb, I mean pit, and everyone expecting to see a whole bunch of lazy lions laying around with fat bellies and bloody faces yawning and picking bits of Daniel out of their teeth with their claws, and a few with folded paws saying, “thank you Lord for the wonderful meal you provided”.

But no, Daniel lives, and the lions are not interested in him one bit.

Be like Daniel! Be faithful! Let go and let God, as they say!

And take this Lenten opportunity to do what will grow your faith.

Down in my office I have posted a saying, “Bias for Action: Just do it!”

Or you could do as that great scholar Larry the Cable Guy says, “getter done!”

One way or the other let’s be the people of faith God so much desires!

Amen!

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