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For Such a Time As This


                When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 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. 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 royal position for such a time as this?”

             Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:12-17)
 

       Today begins the celebration of Purim, a celebration of the victory of the Jews over the evil man who wanted them all killed. It's also Maundy Thursday and Christians are getting ready to celebrate the victory of Jesus over Satan (who wants all people killed), sin and death. Easter is also often associated with Passover, which celebrated the victory of God and the Jews over the Egyptians who enslaved the Jews. As I mentioned a couple days ago, it might even be that Jesus died at the time that the Jews would have been killing the lambs to apply the blood to their doorposts. I thoroughly enjoy these parallels.
        There is another parallel that I want to bring to your attention today. It's your parallel (and mine) with Queen Esther. Oh, I know we haven't won any beauty contests, most of us haven't suffered the humiliation and honor that she did, but each one of us is put in a place that no one else has. We each have an opportunity to do good, or speak against evil. If we don't, someone else may well do so, but we will die a little - or maybe just die.

        Usually, when people talk about these verses, they focus on the "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" It's a great verse, but I think that instead of focusing on Mordecai's last words, we should pay attention to Esther's: "...I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." She accepted the real possibility of dying in order to try to save others.

        This isn't something unique to her. Early in Christian history, Christians tended plague victims, adopted children left out on the rocks and accepted martyrdom as an honor. Today, if someone mentions caring for refugees, Christians are as likely as not to recoil in horror. I'm not suggesting we be foolish, but we need to remember. We need to remember that we, too, have come into our positions for such a time as this...to do what needs to be done, and if we perish we perish.
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On the Calendar
Maundy Thursday
Purim begins at sundown.

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