Esther 4:1-17
1When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2 He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. 3 And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.
4 When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. 5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate.
7 Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. 9 So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message.
10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” 12 So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.
13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
This morning’s reading reminds me of the one about a man who found himself in a jungle surrounded by cannibals. Seeing no possible way to escape, he said to himself, “Oh God, I’m screwed!” Suddenly a light shone down from the heavens upon the man, and he heard the voice of God and God said, “No, my son. You’re not screwed. You see the rock on the ground next to you? The pointy one? Take it and throw it as hard as you can at their leader.” So, gathering his courage, the man grabbed the rock as he was told and threw it with all his might at their leader. The rock soared through the air with uncanny speed and accuracy and bashed the leader square in between the eyes, instantly killing him. As his body dropped to the ground, the rest of the cannibals stared in disbelief, jaws dropped and eyes darting back and forth between the man and their fallen leader. Just then the light shone back down upon the man, and he heard the voice of God again and God said, “NOW you’re screwed!”
Oh, I love the imagery of that one! That poor man thought that God was going to somehow help him if only he threw a rock at the tribe’s leader. And what does God do? Nothing! It was all a setup to get the poor man deeper in trouble! Now of course God doesn’t do that. Our God is a good and generous God, a very present help in times of trouble. Of course God wouldn’t advise someone to do something that would only get them into further trouble. We get ourselves into trouble and it is God who helps get us out of it or at least give us the strength to endure it. The whole interaction is an absurd interaction that goes against God’s nature which makes it all the more funny.
Yes, it is our God that so graciously and generously gives us the strength and courage to endure life’s difficult situations. Our God is a good God who bestows strength and courage on all those caught up in difficult situations. All we have to do is call upon him, call upon him with humble and receptive hearts, and He will empower us! Just look at how He empowered Esther in today’s reading. It’s kind of an awkward spot to pick up in her story so I thought I’d briefly catch us up to where our reading begins. Esther was a Jewish queen that few people knew was Jewish. The king had chosen her because of her beauty and personality. Well, let’s go back a little. The king was married to a beautiful woman and, after a night of drinking and feasting, he called for her to show her off to those around him. She didn’t come to him, and his advisors advised him to banish her forever from the palace lest the wives throughout the kingdom would rise up against the authority of their husbands. The same advisors then told him to round up all the young, beautiful virgins from which to choose a new wife. With the help of a trusted advisor, Mordecai, the king chose Esther unaware of her religious affinity. Life resumed around the palace until another advisor, Haman, rose in power and influence. He demanded that all the king’s advisors bow down to him and Mordecai, a faithful Jew, refused so Haman plotted to get the king to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. Naturally, Mordecai sought help from the queen, also a faithful Jew. Esther was initially hesitant to help, fearful of the king’s wrath, should she call on him without being called for as we heard in our reading. But Mordecai pressed even further: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.” Esther quickly recognized the wisdom of Mordecai’s words and set to pleading with the king on behalf of the Jewish people.
Now few of us will ever find ourselves in positions of power like Esther where the lives of entire groups of people will be on the line. But that doesn’t mean we won’t witness injustices in this world, albeit on a much smaller scale. There is plenty of injustice in this world, both great and small. People are not treated fairly and equitably by other people. There are weak people and strong people and rather than helping the weak, the strong often hurt the weak. The strong become stronger and the weaker become weaker and that isn’t God’s intent. No, God gives strength to help the weak. God gives strength to ensure justice. Our God is a just God…He’s all for justice! Mordecai understood this and cleverly convinced Esther to use her power to promote justice.
Our strength and courage come from God and God alone. Esther wasn’t the only strong and courageous person of scripture. We can seek God’s strength and courage from a multitude of witnesses! Paul encourages us in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” (16:13) And David was always seeking God’s strength and courage as illustrated in his psalms, as he sang, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (27:14) Yes, our God graciously and generously bestows strength and courage on all those who patiently call upon the Lord. We are not to be afraid. Our God will protect us! Our God will guide us! Our God loves us!
Mordecai famously asked Esther, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” We are all called to the lives we are living, in the time we are living them. We are all called to situations that demand strength and courage. Thank goodness our God is with us! Let us be assured by David’s words, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4) Let us give thanks for God’s strength and courage. Thanks be to God!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
