Today's Gospel includes a commonly quoted Scripture verse: one quoted frequently, generally out of context, and often by the most unlikely individuals. "The truth shall make you free." (It would be interesting to know how many times this has been included in political speeches.) The little-noted, seldom-quoted context is a condition that precedes the statement (which is by Jesus, incidentally): "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth" (and the truth shall make you free...) It's another way of saying "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
We have an example of that (living by the word of God and being made free because of it) in the first reading, from the book of Daniel: the famous story of the three young men (more traditionally "children") in the fiery furnace. They remained in the word of God by holding firm in the face of dire threats that really were carried out. (They were cast into the fiery furnace!) And they were set free, "unfettered and unhurt" among the flames.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
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1 comment:
No mention of the fourth person seen by the King as he looked into the fiery furnace.
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