Light for a Dark World

           

The Feast of Tabernacles, that week-long celebration of the harvest, was the most joyous of the Jewish feasts.  In fact, the celebrations went well into the night.  The court of the women, where Jesus was standing in John 8, was the scene of part of that celebration.  During the Feast four huge candelabra were erected in the court of the Temple.  These were so large that ladders had to be used to fill their bowls with oil.  As night approached the priests lit the candelabra.  This rite, called “The Illumination of the Temple” was to remind the people of the pillar of fire that accompanied the nation during its years of wandering through the wilderness.  It’s said that the light was so great that it illuminated every courtyard in Jerusalem. 

  “Then all night long,” one writer says, “until cock-crow the next morning, the greatest and the wisest and the holiest men in Israel danced before the Lord and sang psalms of joy and praise while the people watched.”

It was in this context that Jesus made one of the well-known “I am” statements recorded in John’s Gospel (8:12).  Perhaps the light of the candelabra had just been extinguished or had just burned out, when Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

A World Engulfed in Darkness

In making this claim, Jesus begins with a crucial assumption, one with which the Scribes and Pharisees would have agreed.   He begins with the assumption that our world is in the grip of spiritual darkness--the absence of spiritual light. 

Evidence of this is found in our widespread confusion about God.   It is found in the attitude that prefers to see you and me as the accidental offspring of pond scum, rather than as individuals made in the image of God.   It is found in the absolute assertion that there are no absolutes, no true truth, no moral morality--for all moral schemes are at root one group’s attempt to impose its values on another.  Evidence of this darkness is found in the epidemic of child abuse, which makes every parent and grandparent wary of every stranger, uneasy during every trip to the mall or the corner grocery.  But, of course, that darkness has made the mall a place where any one of us might face the wrath of some fanatic who has confused the whispers of his own hatred with the voice of God.

The Bible tells us this darkness is evidence of sin.  It tells us that this darkness fell across the earth when the first man and woman chose to rebel against their benevolent Creator.  The Scribes and Pharisees would have agreed that the world was full of such spiritual darkness; they would not have agreed that the rabbi from Nazareth was the Light that would overcome that darkness. 

They were far too concerned with his pedigree, too concerned that he came from the wrong place, that his origins were so humble, if not scandalous.  In verse 41 they seem to hint that Jesus was illegitimate.  Perhaps they had heard something of the strange circumstances surrounding his birth and jumped to the conclusion that Mary had been sexually immoral.  Of course, his relentless exposure of their hypocrisy so angered and threatened them that they were willing to hurl any charge at him.  In the debate that followed Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the World they say, “You are a Samaritan and have a demon.”

In calling Jesus a Samaritan they were saying, "You don't even have the right to call yourself a Jew.  You're an outsider, a half-breed."  Could this be a second reference to questions regarding Jesus' paternity?  In any case, they were trying to invalidate what Jesus was saying by associating him with a group of people who would have been despised by most of the people listening to him that day.

            Today, some people feel they can ignore Jesus because they claim he is a “western” Savior.  That’s’ no more of a valid charge than the charge that he was a Samaritan.

            [Christianity spread through much of Asia and northern Africa long before it became the dominant religion of Europe.  In fact, at the beginning of the eighth century there were more Christians east of Damascus than west of that city.  Still, some reject Christianity on the grounds it is a western religion.  It is a poor argument.]

The second insult, "you have a demon," is another charge made in an attempt to discredit what Jesus said; in fact, it would have cast what he was saying as coming from Satan.

All of this was rooted in their refusal to accept Jesus as the One who was bringing the light of God to a world in spiritual darkness.

Just what was Jesus claiming for himself?   Jesus claimed He embodied the light that shines on the whole world to bring life.  

The Source of the Light

Jesus said, “I am the light…”  The light was not the teachings of Jesus, important as they were; Jesus, himself, was the light.  Jesus burst into the dark world like a blazing star.  John reminded us of this in the Prologue of his Gospel.  Speaking of the Word that became flesh, John said,

In him was life, and that life brought light to humanity.

And the light shines on in the darkness,

and the darkness has never put it out. (John 1:4-5)

It’s impossible to overstate the place of Jesus in Christianity. 

As W. H. Griffith-Thomas said “Christianity is Christ.”  Critics from the first-century onward have chafed at that notion.  It’s been called the “scandal of particularity,” the notion that God chose to reveal himself through one Person, Jesus Christ, has been a source of offense to all those who believe that they, not God, should determine how he should relate to the world.

John’s Gospel stresses the centrality of Jesus in God’s self-revelation and his plan to bring salvation to the world.  To the extent the church forgets the significance of Jesus, it losses its impact on the world.

What the authorities refused to accept are the very matters that should be at the center of our efforts to explain who Jesus is.

The controversy following Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world underscored several clues to his identity.  He was one who could call God “Father” because he has a relationship with God unparalleled by that of any other person.  He was one who could claim to be sinless with the utter confidence that is most rabid critics would be unable to refute his claim.  He was one who could promise true spiritual freedom in a world of spiritual slavery.  He was one who could insist that obedience to his teaching is the factor which ultimately determines our relationship with God.

The high point of the debate occurred after Jesus claimed he possessed the power to defeat death.  Jesus’ opponents challenged him by asking if he was greater than Abraham.  Abraham had died, so Jesus’ claim to be able to defeat death implied he thought himself greater than the man considered the father of the Jewish people.

Are you greater than Abraham?  Jesus' response was essentially, "Now you're getting it."

The next few months may be interesting, politically.  We’ve already had one candidate claim to have seen a UFO.  [Remember this sermon was preached in 2008; so far as I know, none of the 2016 candidates has an opinion on aliens—at least of the outer space variety.]  Now, imagine, in this coming election year, one of the candidates saying, "George Washington and Abraham Lincoln rejoiced when they knew I was to be born."  Such a statement would have made us question the candidate's sanity or make him the object of our scorn and ridicule. 

The authorities seem to do that.  There may have been a note of sarcasm in what they said, making the Living Bible paraphrase worth note:  "You aren't even fifty years old--sure, you've seen Abraham!"  The statement, though framed as a question, is intended to be a challenge.

Jesus’ next words stunned the critics.  While what Jesus said may seem awkward or ungrammatical to us, it was a deliberate use of a term that every Jew would have recognized.  

Those Jews would have remembered when God called Moses to lead the enslaved Jews out of Egypt to freedom.  Moses was reluctant.  The story is found in Exodus 3:13-14.

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 

 God said to Moses, "I am who I am." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you.'" 

Reaching back into the Old Testament, Jesus used the divine name (I AM) in reference to himself.  This was not a claim to be "older" than Abraham, this was a claim to be God.

This is the one who embodied the light.

The Scope of the Light

“I am the light of the world,” Jesus said.  Jesus’ light would not extend merely to the courtyards of Jerusalem, it would shine throughout the world.

The salvation Jesus brought would benefit the whole world, not just his own people.

Soon after his resurrection those who had placed their faith in Jesus would break out of the boundaries of Judea and carry the story of Jesus to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Christianity is a missionary religion founded by a Missionary.  Sadly, some who claim to be followers of Christ now tell us that the missionary enterprise, the enterprise which built the church, in wrong.  They tell us that we have no right to try to change anyone, that it is the height of pride to “invade” another culture with our religion, regardless of our good intentions. 

Yet, Jesus never intended his light to be covered by the bushel of uncritical multiculturalism.   Jesus intended his followers to carry the light into every dark corner of the world.

The Light which Brings Life

Until recently we had a large tree in our back yard.  It stood some 65 to 70 feet high and was probably around a century old.  A lot of life had happened around that tree in a century.  Still, the tree posed some problem.  To begin with, we weren’t sure it was safe.  And several experts told us we would never be able to grow much in the back yard because of the tree.  So, we had it cut down.

We noticed a difference almost immediately.  Our house had more sunlight pouring through the windows.  Potted plants near that window seemed to perk up and bask in the sun.  We are eager to see what will happen next spring as the new growing season comes around.  That tree had been blocking the life-giving sunlight.

The light Jesus brings gives life.  The New Living Bible translates Jesus’ words as, “you will have the light that leads to life."  Yet, sometimes something happens to block that light.

v We may block the light with our fears and timidity.  This is a special danger in an age when any excitement about our faith is considered fanaticism.  We find it easier to keep quiet about our commitment than to risk ridicule.  Jesus described this as hiding our light under a “bucket.”

v We may block the light by living without integrity.  Hypocrisy gives every Christian a bad name.  Sometimes that hypocrisy is widely known.  Remember a few years ago when Ray Stevens sang:

Woke up this mornin' turned on my TV set

There in livin' color was somethin' I can't forget

This man was preachin' at me.. yeah.. layin' on the charm

Asking me for 20 with 10,000 on his arm

He wore designer clothing and a big smile on his face

Selling me salvation while they sang Amazing Grace

Asking me for money when he had all the signs of wealth

Almost wrote a check out.. yeah.. but then I asked myself…

Would He wear a pinky ring, would He drive a fancy car

Would His wife wear furs and diamonds, would His dressing room have a star

If he came back tomorrow there's something I'd like to know

Would Jesus wear a Rolex on His television show

Whether it is a “big name” Christian or the racist Sunday school teacher who works in the next cubicle, Christians who don’t live with integrity block the life-giving light.

v We may block the light when we embrace a worldview that says all religions are alike, all of them lead to the same place.  When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he wasn’t saying he was one of several lights, all of them equally bright.   

v We may block the light when we think that we don’t have the capacity to be light-bearers because of our personalities or lack of knowledge.  Jesus understands we are different.  He doesn’t expect everyone to be the same.  Each of us spreads our light in our own way.  We just need to remember, the darkness is so intense that any light helps.

Conclusion

Not everyone in the first century could handle Jesus’ claims, not everyone in the twenty-first century can handle them.  It’s a reminder of how our world is engulfed in darkness.

If you’re confused about God, uncertain about the way to spiritual life, you need the Light Jesus brings.

If you’ve benefited from the Light Jesus brings, share that light with someone else.

Sermon Without a Conclusion

Perhaps you noticed my sermon title, “Sermon without a Conclusion.”  Don’t worry; it doesn’t refer to this morning’s message. 

I’m referring to what many think of as the first sermon in the history of the Christian church:  the sermon Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost.  The text for my sermon—which will have a conclusion—is Acts 2:22-47.  If you regularly read this blog, you know there are several sermons drawn from this seminal chapter.  In this one I try to tie several threads together.

You’ll remember a crowd had been attracted by the sound of the Spirit-filled disciples as they praised God in several foreign dialects.  These dialects were familiar to members of the multi-national crowd but shouldn’t have been familiar to the Galilean followers of Jesus. Made curious, some in that crowd asked, “What does this mean?”  Peter’s sermon was preached in response to that question.

The Sermon

After a brief word to explain the phenomena the crowd was witnessing, Peter turns to his real theme:  God was at work in the world through Jesus of Nazareth.

Throughout the rest of Acts the apostles would return again and again to this theme. 

Here Peter emphasizes several key issues. .

1. The mighty miracles for which Jesus was so well-known were done by God’s power (22b).  During his earthly ministry some had accused Jesus of being in league with the devil; Peter immediately lays that notion to rest.

2.   Peter boldly addresses the issue of the crucifixion.  He unhesitatingly reminds the crowd of their role in sending Jesus to the cross.  He insists that the crucifixion was illegal and was carried out by “lawless men.”  But even as he does this he offers a twist on the story:  The crucifixion, far from being a tragic accident, was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” (v. 23) 

In time, writers like Paul would more fully explain how the cross played a role in God’s plans.  Paul and other New Testament writers would explain how the cross was the key to God’s offer of reconciliation to fallen humanity.  There’s no indication that Peter treated the issue, perhaps because he was eager to move on to an even more startling announcement.

3.  Though Jesus had died on the cross, God raised him up. (cf. 32)  This may have been the church’s first public declaration of the resurrection.  The claim to have been witnesses of the Risen Christ underscores why this was an important qualification for those who would fill the role of apostle.  Peter uses Psalm 16 to support the resurrection. 

The psalm predicted the resurrection would happen; the apostles proclaimed that the resurrection had happened.

4.  Christ was exalted to the right hand of God.  (33a) The conclusion of this matter affirms that God has made or proven this very Jesus to be “both Lord and Christ.”  In time, “Jesus is Lord” would be an early confession of faith.  “Lord” carries an implication of deity.  Within the very shadow of the temple Peter announced that the Man who had been condemned as a blasphemer by the Jewish authorities was, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah, the Anointed One. 

That was the gist of his sermon.  Throughout Acts Luke uses short summaries of the apostles’ sermons.  He does the same here.  Still, even in summary this is a remarkable message.

The sermon contained a great deal of theology, careful reasoning from the Jewish Scripture.  Of course, Peter knew his crowd and knew they could follow what he was saying.  Peter made profound claims about Jesus, claims that would certainly stun some of the listeners.  The claim that Jesus was both Lord and Christ would not be an easy one to accept, especially as the Jews had crucified Him. 

Peter’s sermon had a powerful impact on his listeners.  They were, “cut to the heart” or “moved to the depths of their hearts” (Ber).  The message “went straight to their hearts.” (Moffatt)  The listeners did not leave it at a feeling of conviction but sought direction from the disciples, asking, “What shall we do?” 

Peter answered with a twofold imperative and a promise

            1.  They were to repent.  Repentance involved a change of mind in which they would not only change how they saw Jesus but also reorder they lives according to their new insights.  As a consequence they would be escaping from their “perverse generation.” 

            2.  They were to be baptized.  In baptism they would publicly align themselves with the movement and declare themselves to be committed to Jesus Christ. 

Some three thousand made that commitment that day.  In time being baptized would be an invitation to persecution and trial.  It remains the same for Christians in some countries today.  In Saudi Arabia, for example, becoming a Christian is, on the books at least, a capital offense.

The text implies that some did not respond.  There is no reason today’s church should be surprised when the same thing occurs.

The Aftermath

Ever the historian, Luke shares the aftermath of that first sermon.  His brief description of the life of the early church has inspired longing in the hearts of many who have read it.  In pursuit of the congregational lifestyle it portrays some Christians have tried to recreate the outer characteristics that marked the lives of these first Christians.  They have shunned “church” buildings, insisting that meeting in homes is the only proper way to do church.  They have insisted on a kind of benevolent communism, sharing of goods and wealth.  One church I know of actually requires its members to attend Bible studies five or six nights a week.

These groups, though well-intentioned, fail to see that Luke is trying, not so much to describe what these early Christians did as to describe the kind of people they became.

à They became the kind of people who were eager to learn, to discover more about what God had been doing in Jesus Christ.  They had much to learn.  They had to abandon false ideas and embrace new, correct ideas about God’s Messiah. 

à  They became the kind of people who were committed to the fellowship and to worship.   That is, they regularly gathered together for worship that included public worship and small group experiences.   They benefited from being with one another. 

à  They became the kind of people who were willing to make sacrifices to help their fellow believers (45).  This was not forced communism.  Nor was it universal.  It was voluntary as each person sold property to meet needs.  This was an attitude toward property, not a policy toward property.

à  They became the kind of people who saw miracles happen regularly.  Some commentators believe verse 43 should be reproduced in today’s church—literally.  While most of us would welcome it, I doubt if we really expect it.  Still, it’s not going too far to hope that a church might become a place of miracles where broken hearts are mended and troubled minds are calmed.
            à  They became they kind of people who made a positive impact on their community.  As another translation puts it, “they won the respect of all they people.”

Then and Now

The time has come to make some observations about then and now.  While some characteristics of first-century culture might be like ours, too much is different for us to expect to be able to duplicate the life of the early church exactly.

But what can we expect of a church that takes that early church as a model to emulate, to use as a pattern for what a church should be.

To the extent we intend to carry on Christ’s work in the world we must keep several facts about the early church in mind:

1.    We would expect that church to center its message upon God’s activity in the world through Jesus of Nazareth.

            à  The wonder of the Incarnation.

            à  The impact of his life.
            à   The benefit of his death.
            à   The victory of his resurrection.

2.  We would expect that church to call people to a clear commitment to Christ.

à The first public expression of that commitment was baptism.

à The value of commitment is also reflected in the tendency to delineate between those who are saved and those who are not saved.

3. We would expect that church to give the highest priority to worship.

4.  We would expect that church to seek to be a community of joyous fellowship marked by practical expressions of love.

5.   We would expect that church to encourage its members to exhibit the kind of integrity that will make a positive impact in the community.

A Conclusion—to this sermon, at least!

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day.  I’ve long admired the Irish saint—who was really English but don’t tell any one.  Edward Cairns has written of Patrick as a model church-builder.  He was successful because he continued the tradition go telling the story of what God did through Jesus Christ. 

The truth: wherever the story of God’s activity in Jesus is told, lives are changed.

That’s why the sermon in Acts 2 is, in a sense, without a conclusion.  If the church ever stops telling people what God had done through Jesus, its days are numbered.

Daniel in the Workers' Den

This is a familiar story.  Even if you didn’t grow up in Sunday school, you may have heard it.  If this is your first time to hear it, try to imagine how encouraging it would have been to those exiles who were trying to live out their faith in a hostile place.

Before we proceed, let me caution you about two potential problems.

First, don’t be tripped up by the lions.  The Bible clearly presents this story as a miracle and some people have problems with miracles.  I can appreciate that.  I would encourage you to pick up a good book on apologetics (something by William Lane Craig or Winfred Corduan, for example) and read what they say on the subject.  In the meantime, if you just cannot accept the story as a miracle, remember in almost any circus you can see a man or a woman go into and come out of a cage filled with lions and tigers.  There are circumstances when the beasts don’t act beastly.

Second, don’t focus on the lions.  Yes, they play an important role in the story but this is not a story about lions.  It is a story about integrity.

Here in the US we are celebrating Labor Day.  I thought this story of one man trying to do his job would be a good one to examine.  You’ll find it in Daniel 6.

¹ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; ² and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

******

Let me introduce you to a couple of men, one you know and the other you don’t know as much about.

1.  Darius came to the throne of Babylon after conquering Belshazzar. 

--History records little or nothing about him, which has led some to doubt the historical accuracy of Daniel.  This is not wise since archaeology has repeatedly confirmed Daniel’s account. 

--Darius wanted to rule the kingdom efficiently.  He recognized talent and ability without regard to the ethnic or racial background of the individual.

--He seems to have been susceptible to flattery and praise, leaving him vulnerable to those who out exploit this character flaw.

2.  Daniel, who had been brought to Babylon years before as a captive from Judah, was in his eighties at this time.  He repeated showed himself to be a gifted administrator, one who understood the people he served and the goals of the government.  He hadn’t been in the position long before he had shown he was “so evidently superior” to superior to the other administrators.

Christians in the workplace should notice a couple things about Daniel.  First, he did a good job even though he almost certainly wanted to be somewhere else.  A man who spent half the day complaining wouldn’t have the record for good work Daniel had.  Second, he evidently set a goal of excellence.  He would never be content to get by, to “work to the contract” as some do.

As a result he caught Darius’ attention. 

⁴ Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

Jealousy is an ugly emotion whether it is found in the family, the church, or the workplace.  When Daniel’s fellow administrators found out about Darius’ plan they began to plot and scheme to bring Daniel down.  Good people aren’t exempt from the envy and resentment of bad people.  Often, those who won’t exert themselves to excel at work strongly resent those who do.  Rather than be inspired to work harder themselves, they work to topple those receiving the well-deserved accolades for their efforts.

So, they set out to find some way to undermine the king’s confidence in Daniel; they may have even hoped they could convince the king Daniel should be removed from office and punished.  They couldn’t. 

Certain character traits protected Daniel:  1.  He was faithful—that is, he was trustworthy, a man of integrity.  2.  He was scrupulous.  As one translation puts it, “no fault of neglect” was found in his work.  He dotted his “I’s” and crossed his “T’s”.   If he delegated a task, he made sure the one he chose was also a person of talent and character.  As the New Living Translation says, “He was faithful and honest and always responsible.”

Again, that’s a goal for every Christian worker to aim for. 

In the end, Daniel’s enemies couldn’t find fault with his work.  So, they decided to take a different approach.

Their decision says so much about Daniel.  They decided to use his integrity against him.

Daniel’s coworkers knew two things about him.

1.  He was a good worker, who deserved recognition.  If they’d had any doubts about that before, they were even more convinced since making the futile attempt to find grounds for accusing him of incompetence or malfeasance.

2.  He was a devoted follower of his God.  I don’t picture Daniel buttonholing his coworkers to press the claims of Yahweh on them, but his whole demeanor underscored his commitment to God. 

For the past several years there have been debates about just how much of your religion you can bring to the workplace.  For example, is it okay to place a Bible on your desk or can you hang a cross on the wall of your cubicle?  Some of these debates have even ended up in the courtroom. 

If we must have these things to confirm our commitment to Christ, something is wrong.  You can be sure that Daniel didn’t have a home court advantage in Babylon.  While he may not have been the only Jew in the government, I doubt there were enough of them to form a noontime Torah study.  He had only his integrity and his reputation to remind people of his spiritual priorities.

And that, his enemies supposed, would be enough to deal with him.

⁶ Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

There was no Persian equivalent to the First Amendment.  The king could place a religious obligation on his subjects without fear.  Still, a truly wise king would have questioned the proposal Daniel’s enemies were making.

Unfortunately, Darius, as good a ruler as he might have been, was susceptible to flattery.  Daniel’s enemies must have known this as they approached him.

The idea sounded so good that Darius didn’t even ask, “Are you sure ‘all’ the administrators ‘are agreed’ this is a good idea?”  Apparently, he didn’t even think to ask, “Where’s Daniel, by the way?”

In any case, Darius agreed to this incredible plan for everyone in the kingdom to pray to him.   He doesn’t even seem to have wondered if this action could have caused unrest in the kingdom.

You may work for a supervisor who can be manipulated by those who flatter him or her.  As a Christian, you may be unwilling to play that game so you’ve been watched as foolish decisions or costly mistakes were made.  At such times, it’s hard to remember that maintaining your integrity is more important in the long run than a temporary gain.

I once heard of how Gregory Peck was going into a restaurant with a friend.  They had no reservations so Peck’s friend said, “You’re an important person, go tell them who you are.”  Peck replied, “If you have to tell them you’re important, you’re not.”  Darius could have used an ounce or two of that humility.

If you’re a supervisor, make sure you have a bottle of humble pills in your desk.

Now, what do you suppose Daniel did when he heard about the king’s decree?

¹⁰ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

When Daniel heard he wasn’t allowed to pray, he prayed.  A Christian in the workplace has a certain obligation to his or her employer.  Paul’s instruction for the slaves at Ephesus makes that clear; but he also makes clear that their obligation to God comes first.  That seems to be how Daniel saw things.

As we look at that prayer, we can learn something about facing difficulty at work.

--It’s easier to pray during the tough times if we’ve been praying during the good times.  Evidently, this kind of praying was a habit with Daniel.  He didn’t have to find a place to pray, he had a place to pray.

--When it’s getting tough at work, hold on to hope.  Daniel faced Jerusalem.  The great city of David called to mind how God had called Abraham, promising to make a nation of his descendants, how God had rescued that nation from slavery in Egypt, how that redeemed nation would give the world a great Redeemer.  But the city had been destroyed during Daniel’s lifetime.  He hadn’t seen it but no doubt he had heard of how the once beautiful city lay in ruins.  But those who had been listening to God’s prophets knew that one day God would restore the city and the nation.  Sinclair Ferguson draws some insights from Daniel’s habit.

Whenever Daniel prayed, he instinctively knelt in the direction of Jerusalem.  His mind, his emotions, and his will were focused on the power and the promises of God that were symbolized by that city….  It was an attempt on Daniel’s part to focus his attention on God’s covenant word, which is the foundation of all true prayer.  It reminded hi that he was a strange and an exile in Babylon.  His citizenship and loyalties lay elsewhere.  Jerusalem was a reminder of that covenant word.  Whatever likewise reminds us of God’s promises may legitimately be used to stir us to prayer

--When we pray, we should bring our every need to God.  We don’t know what Daniel prayed at this time.  But it’s easy to imagine him praying for wisdom to do his job, courage to live for God in a hostile environment, and grace to face whatever came his way.

--When we pray, we should remember to praise God.  The word translated as “thanks” carries the notion of praising God.   Daniel had lived in Babylon some sixty-five years.  He was brought there as a teenager, a slave.  Maybe Daniel recalled how God had blessed him through the years, bringing him to an influential place in the kingdom, a place where he could help his people.  These things inspired him to praise God. 

As he thought of those long years of God’s benevolence, Daniel may have thought, “Even if I end up a lion’s dinner, I can have no complaints.  God has been good.”

It may seem hard to praise God when there are those who want you to be a lion’s snack, but it can be done—somewhere in your experience you can find a reason to praise God.

So Daniel prayed, all the while breaking the law.

Someone might wonder why Daniel didn’t compromise just a little.  After all, he would only have to adjust his prayer habits thirty days.  Though it might have seemed a brief time, to pray to Darius would have violated the first of the commandments:   " 'You shall have no other gods before me.”  At the same time, had Daniel given in to that call to compromise, he would have sullied his witness.  Faithfulness matters.

Before we move on, let me point a couple things:  Daniel was one of the good guys.  Sometimes the good guys have to face the lions.

¹¹ Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. ¹² Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." ¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day." ¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."

The trap had been set and Daniel was caught.  Wouldn’t it be great to know your integrity made you so predictable?

Daniel’s enemies were not shocked he took the high road.  They expected.  Their surveillance caught Daniel in the act of praying so they rushed to tell Darius.

You can almost hear the king think, “Oh, no, not Daniel.”  He spent the better part of a day looking for a loophole.  But he couldn’t find one—Daniel’s enemies repeatedly reminded him of that.   We can almost hear them chanting, “The law of the Medes and the Persians cannot be changed.”  I don’t know if Darius considered saying, “Okay, here’s a new law:  Any stupid, ill-advised law can be changed.”  He didn’t.

A stubborn commitment to tradition, tied to an unwillingness to admit a mistake, left the king with no choice but to send Daniel to what was assumed to be certain death.

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!" ¹⁷ And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Once the decision was reluctantly made, Daniel was cast into the lion’s den.  But not before the pagan king offered an unusual wish for God to preserve Daniel. 

The king sealed the den so no one would disturb Daniel.  It almost seems as if Darius was thinking, “Only God can protect Daniel from the lions, but I’ll do what I can to protect him from the schemers who tricked me into condemning him.”

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. ¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" ²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! ²² My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

The two men we met at the beginning of this story spent the night in very different circumstances.  One spent a restless night in a palatial palace, unable to sleep, eat, or enjoy the entertainment he could have easily had.  The other spent the night in a dark cave in the company of an angel and some very puzzled lions.  Beyond that, we don’t know how Daniel spent the night.  Maybe he prayed, maybe he slept, maybe he simply waited for the dawn.

When dawn arrived so did the king.  He rushed to the lion’s den, hoping that Daniel had somehow survived.  In a way this is one of the most remarkable aspects of this story.  How did that pagan king come to imagine that Daniel’s God might save him from the lions?  We don’t know.  Perhaps he heard of three other Jew who, years before, had defied another foolish, ill-advised law and were thrown into a fiery furnace as punishment.  If so, he also heard how those three young men had come out of that furnace unhurt.

Whatever, we can only imagine his relief when he cried out for Daniel and Daniel responded.

He was safe.

I think the king knew he had been duped.  Daniel’s jealous enemies had tried to get rid of one of the king’s ablest servants.  Before this story concluded Daniel’s enemies were thrown into that same lion’s den; without going into detail, the lions were far less restrained than they had been with Daniel.

I feel obliged to say something about that, especially as it relates to those who try to cause trouble for us in the workplace:

--it appears to have been Darius’ idea, not Daniel’s, to execute the troublemakers.  When we deal with “enemies” at work, it’s best not to plot to do to them what they hoped to do to you; leave that to someone else.

--for Christians, the principle of forgiving our enemies applies at work just as it does in every other relationship.

Notice Daniel’s response to the king, “O king, live forever….” He had been thrown into a lion’s den because of this arrogant king’s silly law, but he still demonstrates respect and graciousness. 

It’s hard, but even when your boss is a jerk, you should try to be respectful and gracious.  The time may come when that boss sees the wisdom of consulting you before a crucial decision.  But, even if that never happens, you will have kept above pettiness and vindictiveness.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you. ²⁶ I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. ²⁷ He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."
²⁸ So this Daniel prospered ….

Daniel’s escape from the lion’s den so moved Darius that he declared that the entire kingdom was to honor Daniel’s God.  Did Darius become a believer?  Probably not.  Yet, God was glorified in this proclamation.

Because Daniel remained faithful, because he did not surrender his integrity, God was glorified.  In fact, Alistair McGrath even suggests we might see this as an evangelistic outcome.  Some, upon hearing the story, may have been prompted the place their faith in the God of Israel.

The greatest thing we can hope for is that somehow our demeanor at work, even during the tough times, can bring honor to God.  It may be that those who know of our commitment to Christ are curious about how we will respond to those moments on the job when nothing seems right or fair.

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As I prepared this message, I kept wondering what if those lions had behaved like lions?  What if they had made short work of the aging prophet?  Would Daniel have been proven foolish for disobeying the edict? 

As I thought about these questions, I remembered those three young Jews who faced that fiery furnace earlier in Daniel.  To the king’s mocking question, “Is your God able to save you?” they responded, “It may be that he will save us, but if not  (emphasis added) we will still stand for what is right.”  In that moment, with the fire still ahead of them, their lives glorified God.

If those lions had chowed down on Daniel, his fortitude and faith would still have honored and glorified God. 

You don’t know what may happen when you take the Christ way in dealing with a problem at work.  You might end up appearing to the world around you to be a failure.  God will see you as a success.