Text: Esther 4:14
“Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Sermon
This is the day the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps 118:24) Amen.
She was smokin’ hot.
Esther took the place of Queen Vashti after the Queen angered King Xerxes. The king held an empire-wide beauty contest for his next queen. After a full year of beauty treatments, Esther won the one-night auditions before the king and was selected to be his new queen.
After Esther’s parents died, she was raised by her older cousin Mordecai. One day, Mordecai overheard a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. Mordecai told this to Queen Esther. She passed the report to the king, crediting Mordecai by name. So, Mordecai was held in high esteem by the king.
King Xerxes’ royal advisor was Haman. When Haman entered the palace gate, all the king’s officials bowed before Haman … except for Mordecai. Haman became so enraged at Mordecai’s insolence that he wanted Mordecai dead. His latent hatred for Mordecai was egregious that he wanted all of Mordecai’s people – the Jews – dead, too.
Haman told the king, “There is a group of people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of all the other people. They do not keep the laws of the king. It is not good for the king to allow them to get away with this. If the king agrees, a directive should be written to destroy them” (Esther 3:8, 9). King Xerxes agreed and applied his royal signet ring to the written directive calling for a holocaust of the Jews in his kingdom.
When Mordecai learned of this deadly directive, he sent a message to his cousin imploring Esther to go before the king to beg for mercy and plead with him for her Jewish people.
But Esther was afraid. She knew that it was against the law for any man or woman to approach the king’s inner court without being summoned. Even the queen could be put to death if the king was angered by her unannounced entrance.
When Mordecai received the queen’s message of her hesitance, he replied, “Take this message to Esther: Do not imagine that of all the Jews, you alone will escape because you are part of the king’s household. If at this time you keep totally silent, relief and deliverance for the Jews will spring up from somewhere, but you and the house of your father will perish. Who knows whether you have become queen for a time like this” (Esther 4:13, 14)!
Mordecai’s words are really the theme of the entire book of Esther. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Mordecai believed that God’s chosen purpose for his chosen people would be accomplished with Esther or without her. “If at this time you keep totally silent, relief and deliverance for the Jews will spring up from somewhere.”
Mordecai’s words were the theme of our WELS International Youth Rally this past week at the University of Tennessee. Three chaperones and myself were blessed to take 15 of our Water of Life youth to the rally. The theme of the rally was “Here and Now” based on Mordecai’s words to the smokin’ hot queen: “Who knows whether you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
What kind of reasons did Esther have to not go before the king? Why not now? She had seemingly valid reasons. There was hesitancy, fear, danger, imminent death.
After receiving Mordecai’s desperate but also inspiring words, Esther responded, “Go. Gather all the Jews who are found in Susa. Fast on my behalf. Do not eat and drink for three days and nights. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. After that I will go to the king, contrary to the law. And then, if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16)!
So why now? What made her act? She realized that she lived in a momentous time with a momentous opportunity.
At the rally, the keynote speakers, the music for worship, the pastors in their devotions, and the workshop leaders challenged the teens with why not now. Why not be involved in God’s momentous purposes for the here and now?
Before I give you a list of their reasons for why not here and now, I’m going to give you 15 seconds for you to think of as many reasons as you can of why you are hesitant to serve God and others with your life. Go ahead – why not now? (Pause.)
Teenagers can be very open when you let them. They weren’t afraid or ashamed to give their reasons for why not now. They are busy, afraid, don’t know what to say, can’t drive, too young, no time, uncertain, lazy, distractions, not good enough, and “I’ll do it later” were their top reasons.
Did they come close to any of your reasons? Perhaps your answers are that you are too afraid, too busy, too old, don’t have any talents, don’t know what to say, won’t matter, and more.
When you look at your excuses, are any of them really and truly valid reasons for why not now?
A better question that teens learned to ask themselves is “Why now?” That’s a good question for you to think about for another 15 seconds. Your excuses may come from your sinful nature. Your motivation comes through your sanctified spirit. Go ahead and think of being involved in service to God and others – why now? (Pause.)
Why now? You are here for a momentous purpose. St. Peter announces your purpose: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Isaiah announces your purpose: “Do not be afraid, because I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). St. Paul announces your purpose: “So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
We might be hesitant at first to serve God and others with our lives. But like Esther, we can be confident and seize God’s momentous purpose before us.
All those excuses fall away when we allow God to put us to work. Don’t limit that work for the Lord only to worship or being a called worker or doing something in or for the church. Those acts of service are certainly important and necessary but consider other ways you can serve the Lord in your various vocations.
You are a chosen people who have been chosen for a special purpose. That purpose may be as parents raising your children with respect, work ethic, and the Christian faith. That purpose may be children loving, honoring, and respecting your parents and others in authority. That purpose may be as a faithful employee or a trusted employer. That purpose may be as a helpful neighbor, a studious student, or civil citizen.
Take another 15 seconds – this will be the last time I ask you to do this – to think of when, where, and how you can serve God and those God has placed in your life. (Pause.)
A better question than asking, “What’s your purpose?” is to ask, “Where is your purpose?” Think about where God has placed you right here and right now. You live in a family, a community, have friends, classmates, and coworkers, and belong to a church family. You have people God has put into your life whom you can reflect Christ’s love to, show kindness to, and help.
Look at our Scripture readings today and see how Elisha, Paul, and Jesus acted here and now.
After being tapped on the shoulder to be the next prophet of Israel, Elisha slaughtered his twelve teams of oxen and burned his plows in a sacrifice to the Lord. He was ready to serve Israel here and now.
After being called by Jesus to be the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul definitely suffered as he shared the gospel message. It would mean shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, but Paul was ready to serve the Gentiles here and now.
After being chosen from eternity to be the Savior of humanity, Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. It would mean beard-pulling, slapping, scouring, crucifixion, and divine abandonment, but Jesus was ready to serve and save humanity here and now.
Ushering, canvassing, teaching Sunday School, helping at church workdays, attending fellowship events and Bible studies are all awesome and needed. But what else can you do – in addition to those things – away from the church?
What can you do here and now? Perhaps you know what it’s likely to be lonely and left out. Take someone like you out for coffee and conversation. Season your speech with Jesus.
Perhaps you know what it’s like to be a widow or widower or to lose a child to death or an infant to miscarriage. Don’t be shy about the pain and heartache you feel. Share those feelings with others who are hurting and having a hard time. Be a light in their world.
Perhaps you see a single parent struggling to get everything done around the house. Be a friend and help out. Encourage and build others up.
Now is the time to continue the momentum of rescuing the lives of the unborn.
Now is the time to share the wisdom of God’s divine design of sexuality and marriage in a culture confused about the sexes and sexuality.
Now is the time to show the value of Christian values that serve God and others before serving self and feelings.
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:1).
Jesus has rescued you, redeemed you, and sanctified you. He has chosen you, called you, placed his name on you. He has made you his spiritually smokin’ hot kings and queens that you may glorify the King of kings and Lord of lords in all you think, say, and do.
Jesus came for a momentous purpose. He was determined to go to Jerusalem. No one and nothing could stop him.
You were born for a momentous purpose. Because Jesus went to the cross and out of the grave in Jerusalem, now you are headed to New Golden Jerusalem of heaven. On the way there, carry out your momentous purpose by demonstrating love and compassion, sharing friendship and empathy, and letting your light shine in Christ Jesus.
Like Esther, you were chosen for a momentous time such as this. You have been given a momentous purpose with a momentous opportunity. Here and now. Amen.
For the LORD is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Ps 100:5) Amen.