And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.
Read Chapter 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Let us also imitate those young people. Indeed, even now too there is a gold statue, the tyranny of mammon. But let us not pay attention to the tambourines, the flutes, the harps of ten cords or the other forms of the pomp of wealth. Yes, even if we must fall into the furnace of poverty, we prefer it, so as not to adore that statue, and in its midst there will be a wind of dew. Let us not then be afraid to speak about the furnace of poverty. In fact, back then, those who fell into the furnace were shown to be more glorious, while those who worshiped the statue perished. But then it happened all at once; now instead some things will take place down here, some up there, others both here now and in the day that will come. Those who prefer poverty rather than worshiping mammon will be more glorious both here now and also then in the future, while those who down here become rich unjustly then will endure the more serious punishment.
Lazarus also came out of this furnace too, no less glorious than those young people, while the rich man who was in the place of those who were worshipers of the statue was condemned to Gehenna. Indeed, much of what has been said about these young people was a prefiguration of this. Just as those who fell in the furnace suffered no harm, while those who were outside of the furnace were seized with great violence, thus it will be also then. The saints, walking through the river of fire, will not suffer any pain—in fact, they will be resplendent—while the worshipers of the statue will see the fire attacking them more ferociously than any wild animal, and it will drag them within. - "Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 4.19"
