City Life Starter

I.  The Word: Esther 4: 13-14

13 Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will
escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silence at such a time as
this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your
father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just
such a time as this.”

II.  Study Questions

1. How many of your friends have a different ethnic/economic/geographic/political
background from you?
2. Do you lovingly rebuke your close friends and family when they ignore social plight?
3. How do you feel when someone implores you to do community service?

Where are we?

The Book of Esther relays the story of Esther, a Jewish woman who serendipitously becomes Queen of the empire and uses her power to save the Jewish people from genocide. Mordecai is her cousin by blood, but he has raised her as a daughter since childhood. After Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, the King’s highest officer, Haman convinces King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther’s husband, to order a mass killing of all the Jewish people. Notably, God is never mentioned in this entire book, yet you can see his providential hand everywhere.

What does it say?

Until now, Esther has kept her ethnic identity a secret from the King, and she seems to believe this will protect her from the genocide. In addition, Esther has just told Mordecai she doesn’t want to confront the King because he may kill her for simply approaching him unannounced, let alone openly challenging his order. Mordecai powerfully reminds her she can’t separate herself from the destruction, and her station as Queen may have been given to her for the exact purpose of protecting their people.

What does it mean?

Their relationship is a great example of how a loving parent can inspire bravery, social-responsibility, and confidence in their child. Mordecai is functionally Esther’s father, and he expresses a powerful rebuke immediately followed by loving encouragement. Esther plays an important role in this relationship by continuing to accept his fatherly guidance despite her societal status as Queen. He explains that distancing herself from societal tragedy for self-preservation is selfish and ineffective, then shows her that God has intentionally blessed her with the power to intervene. Without Mordecai’s influence on Esther, the Jewish people may have been brutally exterminated.

Application

I don’t have children, but I bet any parent would overflow with pride to see their child make a similar impact on society. As believers, we should see this Spirit-empowered potential within our church family, and push them to meaningfully intervene to combat societal issues. Esther was living in a beautiful palace with handmaidens, luxurious items, and nearly unlimited resources; she was shielded from the racism, violence, and hate experience by her ethnic group throughout the kingdom. Mordecai was living outside of the palace, and Esther needed to hear this bleak perspective from a loved one to feel empowered to act. Like Esther, we all have different biases and privileges in life, and it often takes the diverse community for us to see past our own experience. As believers, we must lovingly rebuke when fellow Christians dismiss others’ social plight, while also accepting the same critique when we commit the same offense. It’s a beautiful part of our sanctification process and enables us to live out the gospel to our broken societies. Relationships are powerful, and healthy ones in the right places really can change the world.