Others, Others, Others
The Wesleyan Church had a program going on for the month of September called “Preach-HER Sunday.” I thought the name was cute, but I was also grateful for the chance to speak to our congregation again. For those of you who haven’t read my sermon on the book of Ruth, you can check out the blog post.
This time I decided to preach about another wonderful woman from the Bible, and just like last time, I think you’ll discover the lesson behind her is universal. It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female: the point is the Holy Spirit can speak to any one of us, whether we’re a man, woman, rich, poor, old, young…or, most importantly, flawed.
That’s something I always try to remind myself when I’m studying the Bible. None of the people God uses to achieve His ends is perfect. I think that’s why it's such a wonderful piece of literature. It gives us hope when we feel we aren’t good enough, smart enough, talented enough…fill-in-the-blank enough. God spoke to His people through those they could relate to, and, even though our time and culture may be very different today, it doesn’t at all prevent us from learning something from their behavior.
Before I go any further, I’d like to provide a quick overview of what leads up to the verses I will be focusing on.
The Book of Esther is a story from the Old Testament that revolves around the Persian queen Esther and her heroic actions to save her people, the Jews, from a plot to annihilate them. The story begins with King Xerxes hosting a lavish banquet to showcase his wealth and power. During the event, he calls on his queen, Vashti, to display her beauty for those in attendance. She refuses (something I actually admire her for despite her only being a minor character in this story), and, as a result, loses her royal position.
With Vashti gone, the king is on the hunt for a new queen. He essentially holds a beauty contest - think Ms. America - in which many young women are brought in for beauty treatments and presented to the king. Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, is selected in the end. Mordecai asks her to conceal her Jewish identity as she rises to become queen. Around the same time, Mordecai uncovers a plot by Haman, the king's advisor, to exterminate all Jews in the Persian Empire. Haman's motive is rooted in his personal grudge against Mordecai, who refuses to bow to him.
Haman manipulates the king into issuing a decree that all Jews should be killed on a specific day. At this point, Mordecai urges Esther to reveal her Jewish heritage to the king and plead for her people to be saved. However, Esther is understandably hesitant - for if she approaches the king without first being summoned, she could be put to death.
I’ll stop the story here because I want you to reflect on your own life for a second. I know we’ve all been faced with a big decision or two that - while perhaps not life or death - was still a situation where making the brave or morally correct choice could put us at risk. Risk of losing a friend, job, or maybe even the respect of someone we care about deeply.
One of my personal favorite non-biblical quotes is, “What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.” We are human. Of course it’s not fun to be rejected, especially when we know in our heart we are doing the right thing. But this next passage might put things in a different light for us. When Esther sends word back to Mordecai about the possible ramifications of going to the king without being called, here’s what he has to say:
“12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’” (Esther 4:12-14)
This is arguably the most quoted passage from the book of Esther, and for good reason. I think many of us often wonder: Why me? Why was I given this extremely stressful project at work? Why was I presented with this dilemma between two sides of my family? Doesn’t God know if I do what He wants me to in this situation it could ruin my relationship with a customer/coworker/friend?
It’s going to sound strange, but the answer to the question of “why” is “because if you don’t, someone else will.”
I know what you’re thinking: “Okay…and? If that’s the case, then why should I worry about it?”
There are always two options at hand in situations like this.
The first option: You reject what you know is the right thing to do. You tuck your tail between your legs and run away. You pretend you didn’t hear what was being requested of you by what I typically call your conscience but is also undoubtedly the Holy Spirit.
This is an example that’s a little more on the extreme side, but Cain from the story of Cain and Abel back in Genesis chapter 4 comes to mind.
Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was essentially a farmer. When it came time to bring a sacrifice before the Lord, Cain brought some odds and ends of his crop - nothing all that special. Abel, on the other hand, brought some of his choice fat portions from the firstborn of his flock.
Verses 5-7 says, “The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
You can’t tell me Cain didn’t know exactly what the right thing to do in this situation was. He then gets upset that his brother was being praised for something Cain himself definitely had the opportunity to do, but intentionally rejected. This is just one example of knowing what do to and not doing it because you’re afraid of what you may lose instead of what you actually have to gain. In the end, his jealousy drives him to murder his own brother and results in a great loss: he’s driven from the land and hidden from God’s presence.
Now, for the second option: You muster up the courage and do what God is calling you to do.
Thankfully, after Esther asks Mordecai to gather together all the Jews who are in Susa to fast for her (as she and her attendants also do), she agrees to go see the king. In verse 16, she says something I know I wish I had the guts to say: “...When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
There are a few notes we can take from this. She doesn’t make a snap decision. She not only fasts herself but asks that those she trusts do so as well. In our case, we might do the same, or it can be as simple as asking trusted friends and advisors to pray with and for us. In addition to this, we see an incredible trust in God here.
“If I perish, I perish.”
Her acceptance of a terrible fate isn’t said lightly. She knows there may very well be consequences. In this case, maybe it was the simple fact she could die either way: with Haman’s edict, her heritage could eventually be revealed and she would then be executed, or her husband the king could say, “Off with her head!” for approaching him without being called. It may seem like a no-win situation, and in our case, things might not be as cut and dry. What is important is drawing on our faith for the courage we need in times when it seems we are stuck in a Catch-22 situation.
Because if we go with option one - what we might at the time call the “safest option” - there’s no telling what we might be missing out on. If you let the chance escape, you’re only letting the opportunity to be a part of something bigger pass you by. You may not crave attention or reward, and that’s great. But I’m talking about letting the chance for God’s blessing through that situation - whether it be for personal growth, a renewed sense of self-respect and/or respect from others, or the opportunity to change others for the better - slip through your fingers.
To make a long story short, Esther ends up successful. The king hears her out and she eventually reveals Haman’s wicked intentions. The king has him executed and her people are given the right to defend themselves since the original edict asking for the destruction of the Jews cannot be taken back. They fight back and are saved.
As a final warning, remember these words of Mordecai’s: For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place…
When you’re debating what to do, change this verse to fit your situation. Here are a few examples.
"For if I don't prioritize my children's well-being, there will be others who step forward to nurture their growth and development."
"For if I don't help my family through this crisis, there will be others who rise to offer guidance and a helping hand in their time of need."
"For if I don't support my colleagues' growth, there will be others who rise to mentor, guide, and facilitate their career advancement."
"For if I don't listen and understand my friends, there will be others who step forward to provide a caring ear and genuine empathy."
Do you not see the common bond here? There will be others, others, others. God will always make a way. But let me ask you this: Don’t you want to be that person? God is trying to work through you, and He will if you let Him. Thinking about the situation you find yourself in in light of this verse may very well paint things in a much different light, and make your decision that much easier.
So friends - let’s not leave it up to “others.” Let’s be like Esther. If we perish, we perish - but God will always ensure it’s not truly the end.
