Eighteenth Page: Ma bonne Hadassah, don’t you at least read the headlines?

Esther was perplexed.

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Senior Cousin Mordecai was behaving strangely lately; he was clothed in burlap and seemed to be in some kind of mourning – she didn’t know why. The death warrant for the Jews which emanated from the palace was troubling that race throughout the empire stirring a huge commotion but back in the harem, it was business as usual. The issues that engaged the wives and concubines of the king concerned only themselves; mostly the dominant theme was which of them would have the privilege of  spending  time with the King “tonight”. The atmosphere reeking of internecine jealousy  rarely admitted questions that had  to do with the welfare of the nation. They just couldn’t be bothered with the banner headlines that were casuing a great deal of turmoil and agitation among the people, caught up as they were in their own little world of facials, manicure, pedicure, hair colouring and the like. Ah, they were quite content to pose earth quaking questions like “Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?” (Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

If we are looking for some useful application from a spiritual parallel of the story thus far, we may ask: “Are we concerned about people heading for their doom? Do we experience a burden to save them from the writ? (Colossians 2:14)What are the national issues that grab our attention? Do we engage in a debate over that proposed act or legislation designed to cause harm to a section of our fellow citizens or is it that  we couldn’t be bothered less, as long as we are not personally affected  – living as a closeted and closed community of narcissistic Christians loathe to leave our comfort zone?

Quite often when the Establishment faces the Complainants or the Protestors, its reaction is to throw some mild sops or palliatives in the hope and naïve belief that that is all that is required to keep the other side quiet or happy. No real effort is made – atleast in the first instance – to get to the root of the problem, to take the trouble to ascertain the underlying causes. It is interesting that Esther’s first response to the situation was to send some clothes to Mordecai, which of course he refused to wear. How many times have we seen relief and rehabilitation measures such as this that have little relevance to the context and only betrays the Establishment’s ignorance of the real issues!

While it is axiomatic that people at the top are not the best informed it is true that sometimes newspapers get all wrapped up and you have to sift  through several sheets of mast head full page advertisements  before discovering the front page of news almost in the last page, juxtaposed to Sports –  but there it was : something terrible was going to happen to the Jews a year thence, to be precise on  the 7^th of March 473 B.C.    The authoritative but conservative paper“The Elamite” was extremely cautious as usual in presenting the news and took particular care not to mention the terrible “J” word. It chose instead  such cliched euphemisms as one community and the other sect, little realizing that the matter went far beyond the Elamite’s ridiculous propensity for underplaying the drastic! But any one with eyes and ears knew what was happening – thanks to the sensational Times of Elam whose headlines  – though equally submerged –  carried the news with customary jollity.Targeted as this action was on all men, women and children, you can say this was something like a Primer in genocide (that  would later provide a blue print to the Hitlers and Polpots of our time!) and it took the vernacular papers to catch the magnitude of the impending doom in the right measure.

Esther was aghast when she was put au fait of the matter by Mordecai. Reflexively, she tried a defensive line of doing nothing, on the premise that the King hadn’t sent for her last 30 days. Mordecai would have nothing of it as he slipped in a memorable line: “who knows, it may be for such a time as this that you’ve been made the queen.”

Yes, who knows? “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform”(William Cowper). Are we a willing tool in the Master’s hand engaged in shaping and reshaping the world or are we basking in the sunlight in a spirit of exclusive entitlement of life in the ivory tower idly fiddling away while “Rome burns”? Are we losing an opportunity of being altruistic rather than being egotistic? Where and how are we focused? Are we full of ourselves or are we capable of seeing beyond our nose? Do we have well thought out vision and mission statements that define our role and our goals in the context of our dynamic environment ? Or are we happy with the dreadfully selfish view they take sometimes Downunder that says “I’m alright Jack?” Do we have any saltiness left and atleast some brightness? (Mattthew 5:13-16). Can we ask meaningful questions about the relevance of our lives in our little corners?

Ponder on these things..…we must. Having done that, let’s move on.

Mordecai’s evocative question was a wake up call to Esther and she decides to approach the one authority that can do some thing about the matter. Whom do we approach in times of calamity? Unlike Esther who was on tenter hooks when she neared the King unsummoned, not knowing whether the King will accept her person or not, we have a God we can freely approach (Hebrews 4:16) and we can call Him “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). And we can sing with the immortal words of Joseph Scriven“what a friend we have in Jesus!”How often do we exercise this tremendous privilege?

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Then again, Esther was very clear in her mind that her mission is to be backed up by fasting and prayer if it is to have any chance of success at all. She asked that the entire Jewish community do that for 3 days and she didn’t except herself and her maids. It is instructional here that Esther’s faith permeated to her maids.

How about our faith? Does it stop with ourselves or have we shared it with those around us? Has it made a mark in our neighbourhood?Can we possibly hold a prayer meeting that involves our colleagues and neighbours a la Esther? Have we brought them into a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?

It is apparent that Esther believed in the efficacy of prayer as an instrument to influence royal hearts (Proverbs 21:1). Then again there is something about corporate prayer that we learn here. Everybody is encouraged to join in. Well what if someone does not join in? Will not the prayer be answered?

Presently, we’ll talk about this aspect but here’s a request for prayer that is centered around God’s will, even though the book of Esther contains no reference either to prayer or to God. Howsoever we might attempt to downplay acts of the Divine in our lives, it is not possible to stifle His working in our lives altogether. God shines through. Despite the nescience of open admission, it is clear that prayer is tacitly acknowledged here. Further,  notwithstanding the clear request for protection and deliverance, and the recognition of  God’s ability to turn things completely around, equally there is an admission that the sovereign will of God can well take another path and that He is under no obligation to explain the whys or the wherefores to us the petisheners. “And if I perish, I perish” says Esther in a completely matter of fact way (Esther 4:16)

How about our prayer lives? Do we accord primacy to the performance of God’s will in the matter or do we obstinately insist that our will be done? Do we have the maturity to understand that it is entirely possible that God’s solution to the issue on hand could vastly differ from our recommendation?

Though Esther alludes to corporate prayer among the Jews and in the palace, all concerned might not have joined in.  You invite 50 people for a fasting prayer meeting; only 20 will turn up. Sure, if it is a banquet the attendance will significantly improve but even so there will always be some who will not turn up for whatever reason (Luke 14:15-20). Deep doubts over efficacy of prayer in a situation such as this, a cavalier attitude that one absence should not affect the outcome or like reasoning could well have stood in the way of universal participation.

What happens then? In attempting to find answers to this question, it is useful to turn to the book of Genesis to the portion where Abraham remonstrates with God over the number of righteous people in Sodom required to avoid its total destructionThe narrative makes it clear that it is not possible to thwart God from carrying out His plans and purposes. If you fail to participate in the prayer meeting, God can still move his hand inexorably. But alas, we will have no part in the rescue. We would lose a wonderful opportunity to partner with God in the implementation of His plans. Our special position as children of the living God and the continuity of our life itself becomes quite irrelevant, meaningless.

Are we ready to partner with God? Or do we rule ourselves out of God’s team for the task? The choice is ours. He is not going to force us. He hands out the opportunity; He makes the conditions favourable (the King does extend his golden scepter for Esther). But she needed to disclose her racial identity, gather up her courage, deliberately leave the (comfortable but insipid life in the) cocoon of the harem, and purposefully proceed to the King’s court with the full knowledge that she carried to the throne the hopes and fears of millions of her people.If she succeeds, it meant a huge reprieve, tremendous relief and continued life but whereas if she failed she faced death herself and the doom of her people was bound to come.

One could argue that the decision of life and death depended only on the king but somebody had to represent the case and plead with him for mercy, yes? Isn’t this our role particularly where Christians are in the minority and where they are slighted or assaulted for no other reason than their faith? What is our response?

It is instructive to note that in actual fact there are two scenes in this engrossing drama being played out in perfect parallel– one visible and the other not so. The Jews as a race and Esther’s maids as a group are fasting and no doubt in the spiritual realm, praying to the Lord of lords and the King of kings for mercy even as Esther takes dangerous but purposeful steps into the throne room of king Xerxes. The thought and indeed the fact that some body is praying for you at this very instance should fill us with hope and encourage us in our walk as Christians, as children of the living God.

We are not alone. When the prophet Elijah despaired of his seemingly solitary walk with God, he is informed that while his ministry is unique and quite individualistic, there are in fact 7000 people who have not bowed down to Baal (I Kings 19:18). Take heart. God has his Esthers placed in crucial positions but the Mordeais are leading the masses in prayer!

There are some situations in life that are amenable not only to prayer but fasting is required as well.Matthew 17:21 makes that clear to us. Yes, there is some thing special about fasting particularly over well defined and specific issues that God doesn’t  ignore. If in the world of business we speak of “power breakfast” or “power lunch”, we could in the spiritual realm well resort to “power fast”.

So we need not be surprised that Esther found favour in the eyes of the king, for at another level, God has already ensured that. (Psalms 5:12) But when the king admits her and asks her what her request was, does Esther blurt out the matter in one breath and seek relief from her fears and forebodings. No, she has a strategy – dinner diplomacy. Thus not only is she clear in her vision and not only is she made aware of her mission by Mordecai, Esther works out her own way of seeking a solution; yes, she has drawn out her road map. Yes, “Wisdom has not only built her house and carved its seven columns but she has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table”(Proverbs 9:1-6).

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So let’s summarize some characteristics of an effective (and victorious) Christian.

She must know what is happening in the world around. 2 Cor.2:11.

She must be clear of her own identity as the child of God.

Her vision must be well defined and her mission purposeful.

She should be supported by a backup team of prayer warriers.

She should display courage of her conviction.

She could and should approach the throne of grace with boldness.

She should use her head and have her strategy worked out rather than blunder headlong into the matter.

Come on Hadessa, your job is cut out.