Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Esther 10:3 (NIV)
I have often mentioned in these blog posts that the Great Story from Genesis to Revelation is primarily a story of conflict between God’s Kingdom and human empire. The story of Esther is fascinating because it is about God’s people living in exile within a foreign empire. Mordecai and Esther begin the story as anonymous cogs within the Persian Empire, but they are placed in positions where they can make a positive difference for their people within an antagonistic system.
This theme is echoed in the teachings of Jesus, whose followers were marginalized minions operating under occupation by the Roman Empire and corrupt authority of the ruling religious system. The letters of the New Testament are equally addressed to followers of Jesus living through persecution from those same two kingdoms of this world.
Along my life journey, I’ve observed that the theme of “human empire” has far reaching implications. Empire exists at a number of levels. In my career I have worked with numerous clients—from giant global corporations to small family businesses. Each one is a type of human empire with a certain degree of control and impact on the lives of human beings. Likewise, the nuclear family is a type of human empire. I’ve observed what happens to children who grow up in a tyrannical home or a home in which leadership is passive or absent.
Of course, my life itself is a micro-level human empire. I have free will. I control my thoughts, words, actions, and choices.
Today’s chapter is a three-verse epilogue to the story of Esther. After all the intrigue, the fear, the courage, and the great turning of the tables, the story ends quietly. Mordecai simply goes to work—seeking the good of his people and speaking for their welfare. No miracles split the sky. No prophets thunder from the hills. Life resumes under the vast reign of Xerxes I.
Yet God placed them in positions of influence within that system.
In those positions they could serve themselves, or they could use their influence for the good of others. Esther ends with Mordecai choosing the latter.
In the quiet this morning I find myself reflecting on the reality that I face the same choice every day in every little empire where the paperwork, bureaucracy, and machinations of my life unfold.
My personal life
My marriage and family
My business
My community
My church
Each day I choose who I am going to serve.
And perhaps that is the final lesson of Esther: God’s hand is often most present not in spectacle but in faithful people who quietly use whatever influence they have for the good of others. And who knows? Perhaps that quiet faithfulness is exactly how God continues to turn the tables in our world today — one small empire at a time.
Tomorrow, we begin a trek through the book of Luke.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
