August 13, 2023 homily on Esther 4:10-17 by Pastor Galen
Esther: a Melodrama
The Book of Esther has all of the elements of a classic melodrama—a sensational dramatic piece of literature with exaggerated characters, exciting events, and ironic twists of fate. Every good melodrama has a damsel in distress, a villain and the villain’s bumbling sidekick who provides comedic relief, and of course, a hero. And the story of Esther is no exception.
Esther at first appears to be the “damsel in distress.” An orphan who is adopted by her older cousin Mordecai and then captured and taken against her will to live in the palace. But as the story progresses we find out that she is actually the hero of the story, and it’s actually her people who are in distress, due to an evil plot devised by the archvillain of the story, Haman, who is seeking to destroy them. Haman was technically the second in command to the king—but in many ways, he is the one calling the shots. Haman is a hotheaded, egocentric megalomaniac who is upset because Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) will not bow down to him, so he hatches a scheme to destroy not just Mordecai, but all of the Jewish people (not realizing, of course, that Esther is Jewish). The king, on the other hand, is a malleable pushover who loves to drink and party and who seems to do whatever his advisors tell him to do (especially when he’s intoxicated).
An Ironic Turn of Events
Although Esther becomes the Queen, she has very little power at all. She can’t even go into the king’s presence unless she is summoned without risking her life. At first, she has no idea that she and her people are even in danger until Mordecai finds a way to get the message through to her and convinces her to take action. Esther finally works up the nerve to go into the king’s presence, risking her life if the king refuses to hold out his golden scepter. When the king welcomes Esther into his presence, she works up the nerve to invite the king and Haman to a banquet. And at that banquet, she invites them to another banquet (as I said, it’s a melodrama!) and it’s there where she finally reveals her identity, making the king aware that it is her people that Haman is seeking to destroy, and pleads for the lives of her people.
But in between those two banquets, the craziest sequence of events happens. Haman again encounters Mordecai, who refuses to bow, and he just can’t take it anymore. He plans to have Mordecai executed the next day. But that night, the king, unable to sleep, remembers that he had never honored Mordecai for once saving his life. And so the next day, rather than executing Mordecai, Haman is forced by the king to pay Mordecai a grand tribute, dressing Mordecai in royal robes and parading him through the streets on horseback while calling out, “Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor!” (Esther 6:11b). Talk about an ironic turn of events! (And that’s just one of the many examples of the crazy twists of fate that take place throughout the story of Esther.)
“For Such a Time As This”
One of the most dramatic dialogues in the book of Esther is the exchange that occurs between Mordecai and Esther when Mordecai asks Esther to go into the king’s presence to plead on behalf of the lives of their people. Queen Esther, who has been living a life of comfort and ease and luxury in the King’s palace, who has successfully been able to hide her identity, has to consider whether she is willing to risk it all to enter the king’s presence without being summoned, to “out” herself as a Jew, and to risk the anger and wrath of the king and the hatred of Haman who has it out for her people.
Mordecai’s words to Esther are rather stunning. Mordecai seems to have faith that no matter what, their people will be saved from destruction, saying, “If you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter” (Esther 4:14a). But Mordecai says, “‘Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this’” (Esther 4:14b). Indeed, it seems that Esther had been made queen for such a time as this, for she does in fact make a successful appeal to the king, convincing the king to make a new decree that ends up saving her and all of her people, and getting rid of Haman. Esther is truly the hero of the story, saving her people from destruction.
Where is God?
Now, the Book of Esther is unique in that it is the only book in the Bible that does not explicitly mention God. If we look below the surface, we can infer that God is at work behind the scenes, orchestrating the salvation of God’s people through Esther. But the characters in the book of Esther (Esther and Mordecai included) never claim to hear God speak to them, in the way that God frequently speaks to people throughout the rest of the Bible.
Mordecai may be alluding to God when he says that “relief and deliverance will rise…from another quarter” even if Esther does not act. And he may be insinuating that it was God who put Esther on the throne, but it’s never explicitly stated. Even the words he uses, “Who know? Perhaps…,” indicate that he’s not completely certain of what will happen, or why Esther has been made queen. Esther and all the people fast, and we can assume that they pray, but it’s not stated. And if they do pray, it’s not recorded that they hear anything from God in response.
In this way, the book of Esther, as melodramatic as it may be, has a sort of realism that probably resonates with many of us in the way that quite frequently it’s difficult to see how God is at work in a given situation. Quite frequently, for many of us, God seems silent, and when God does speak to us, it’s often not in a loud voice from heaven, but in those gentle nudges and inward promptings, and through God’s Word, the Bible.
Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly
It’s striking to me that Esther takes action and even risks her life, not because she hears a voice from heaven telling her what to do, but simply because she knows in her heart that it is the right thing to do. She acts with courage and humility, acknowledging the reality that she isn’t certain of what the outcome would be, but she does what is right, even though it means putting her own life at risk. As she tells Mordecai, “I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16b). In this way, Esther can be a role model to each and every one of us, even in those times when God seems silent.
Because many times, if we’re honest, we actually know the right thing to do, we just don’t want to do it because of what it might cost us. Many times we hide behind the excuse that “God hasn’t told me to do that.” When I was invited to become a pastor, for example, I said “no” at first, because I hadn’t heard an audible voice from heaven telling me to become a pastor. But in reality, I was just scared. But God wouldn’t let me keep running, and although I never did hear an audible voice from the heavens, it became clear that it was what God was calling me to do. I just needed God to give me the courage to say “yes,” which in fact God did.
I don’t know what God might be calling you to do. Maybe you’re feeling called to speak up about an issue in your workplace, or neighborhood, or school, but you’re afraid of ruffling feathers, or being seen as too political. Maybe you’ve been invited to give your time or energy or talents or resources to serve others—perhaps even to serve in some capacity in the church—but you’re just not happy about what you will have to give up in order to do so. Maybe you’re feeling prompted to invite your friend or neighbor or coworker to church, but you’re afraid they might say “no” and that it may cost your friendship with them.
I don’t know what the situation might be for you, but the story of Esther highlights the reality that often we don’t always need to hear an audible voice from heaven in order to know what’s right.
In Romans 2:15, the Apostle Paul talks about the law being written on the hearts of even those who are not followers of God, and he says that our consciences bear witness to what is right. The Prophet Micah, in Micah 6:8, declares, “[God] has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” If you’re looking for a direct word from the Lord, there it is! Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God.
This is exactly what Esther did as she stepped out in faith and courage, with humility, risking her own life to save her people, even without hearing a voice from heaven. She knew the right thing to do, she just needed the courage to do it. That’s why I think she asked her community to fast. Esther can be a role model and example for us in those times when we don’t hear an audible voice from God. God has called us to pursue justice and kindness with humility. We just need to ask God for the courage to do it.
King Jesus
The story of Esther also points us forward to Jesus. Jesus too risked his own life to save others. Jesus endured the shame and rejection of the world and willingly endured the cross for our sakes so that we could be set free from the power of sin and death. Romans 8 tells us that even now, Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. So often we’re afraid to go to God with our worries and fears and concerns. We’re afraid that we’re not good enough or holy enough. I’ve talked with many people who are even afraid to enter the doors of a church because they think God might smite them. But no matter what we’ve done or failed to do, we can take comfort in the fact that, as Romans 8 says, “God is for us”! And “If God is for us, who is against us.” No matter what, nothing in the world can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion
So may we draw inspiration from the life of Esther, following her example to act with courage and humility, even in those times when we may struggle to hear or discern God’s voice. May we trust that God is indeed at work behind the scenes. And may we walk in confidence in the fact that God is for us, that nothing can stand in the way of the love that God has for us, and that even now King Jesus intercedes for us.
Amen!
Hampden United Methodist Church 