Calvin Synod Herald, 1996 (96. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1996-05-01 / 3. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA- 4 -Keeping The Faith

by Meg Szabó

Sermonette on Youth Sunday in Trinity Methodist Church

at McLeen, VA

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold for all people of Bablyon to worship. If someone did not bow to their knees and worship the statue when timbres of every instrument were heard, they would be thrown into the blazing furnace.

But three Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who were good friends of Daniel, and were known and respected by the king, would not follow his orders. When they were summoned by Nebuchadnezzar and given a second chance before they were thrown in the furnace, they replied by saying their God would save them, and even if he couldn't, they still wouldn't bow to his God.

This made the king so angry that he fired up the furnace and threw them in. But, to the king's surprise, he saw four men walking around in the furnace. It was Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and a godlike figure. The King summonned the three out; and when they arouse, they were just the same as when they went in" They hadn't been touched by the fire.

When I chose this scripture to write my sermon, it was for many reasons. But, the main reason was that it had special meaning to me. I would look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and what they did, and I was amazed by the amount of faith and loyalty they had for God. But, one of the greatest things about these three men is their taking each test in stride. They do no complain about the trials of life. If they are to be tested again, so be it.

Apparently, they had not assumed

that all their problems were over just by this one act. We feel that in one great act we can become religious, and that will be enough. But this is not true. The tests are for the purpose of strengthening us for more difficult ones ahead. Real religion is a continuing way.

In the ancient world, a God was supposed to support and defend his people. They would chose the God that could do the most for them. But this

story shows a new idea of God. God may not always save us from the fiery furnace, or heal us. He will allow his son to go to the cross.

But, the attitude that we take towards religion today has been especially vulnerable to those who seek success and riches in today's society. Many people assume that religion is to be judged only in terms of its ability to make a man successful. For so many of us, god becomes something to use. But for Daniel and his friends, faith is commiting oneself to a way of life regardless of the result.

Sometimes, the advantages of evil are too easily seen. Evil offers certain rewards immediately. Substitute temptation and evil for the king, and you have what happens to the good man. We should not lose sight of the deep thruth that religion has and rewards. They may not be apparent immediately. Goodness demands that we shall have faith in deeper satisfactions. The life of the faithful man is continuous and full of the profound, satisfying, spiritual gifts of god.

The life of a betrayer is full of a long series of regrets and tragedies for believing that the advantages of evil would be more than temporary. The greatest satisfaction of all is knowing that you are going on a safe path which a complete commitment to God brings.

But how do you know if you are being faithful, and if you have loyalty for God? Do you believe that God would do the same thing for you that he did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abegnego? Would you have enough faith in God to do the same thing, or would you bow to the golden statue?

Morality is a quest. The accomplishment of one moral act is good enough in its place, but it is not good enough to last a lifetime. Morality is not something that is achieved in one act, but it is a continuous pursuit of a goal.

Editorial note: Meg Szabó, 15 years old, is the daughter of Dr. Stephen Francis Szabó Dean at Johns Hopkins University. (The Editor is the proud grandfather of Meg.)