Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 29 September 2024.
Esther Denouncing Haman (1888) by Ernest Normand
• First Reading: Esther 7: 1-6, 9-10; 9: 20-22 (Esther’s plea for the life of the Jews in Persia; Purim established)
• Epistle: James 5: 13-20 (Prayer for the sick, prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective)
• Gospel: Mark 9: 38-50 (Whoever is not against us is for us. Causes of stumbling: doing, going, seeing)
We all enjoy a good story and even when we hear it again, we relish the build-up to the punchline. If I say ‘Ye ken the noo’ you will know that this is the punchline to a story about an over-confident man at the point of judgment.
But when we look at our Old Testament lesson, what we find is indeed the punchline verses without getting the story behind it.
So: Queen Vashti had disgraced herself at the court of the King of Persia and the search for a replacement consort was on. An obscure Jewish exile girl was found and after being prepared was presented to the King who was pleased with her and so she came to the royal court. This was Esther.
Her cousin was an official, Mordecai, who learned of a plot against the king and through Esther, raised the alarm. A higher official, Haman, had demanded all to kneel before him and Mordecai refused as this honour was for God alone. So Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews in the realm.
Mordecai had to persuade Esther to intercede with the king so that the Jews could defend themselves however to enter the king’s presence unbidden was to invite death. Esther had to think twice about this one. Eventually she agreed and she and her companions went into a very serious bout of prayer and fasting: three days without food or water in a hot climate.
And agreeing to go to the king she said: ‘If I perish, I perish.’
Well, she survived her uninvited entrance to the king and invited him to dinner. That was the first of 3 invitations and at the end of it the king’s curiosity was really aroused. Just what did she want?
Finally it came out: Haman’s plot against the Jews, who were then allowed to defend themselves. And they did. Haman was unmasked, condemned and executed on the gibbet he had intended for Mordecai.
And the feast of Purim was inaugurated and continues to be celebrated after the appropriate synagogue services:
‘The rest of the day is devoted to mirth and rejoicing. Large numbers of hymns have been composed for public service, also plays, dramas, and recitations. The theme of the festival has been rehearsed many times in the centuries of persecution in ancient and modern times.’ (From the Encyclopaedia of the Bible accessed through the Bible Gateway)
That is the background to today’s lesson from the Old Testament and we will all wish to reflect on its relevance to recent events.
But the lesson also points us to the devotion of Esther to her people and the costs it might have entailed. It points to the deep and committed bout of prayer and fasting that she invoked to support her.
In James, we also see the importance of prayer.
It is there as we rejoice and celebrate, as we will do for our Harvest Festival. It is also there as we are challenged or face trial and difficulty.
It is there as he invites those who are sick to ask for prayers for healing and yes, this is a ministry that we offer on our Tuesday evening celebrations.
Elijah is taken as an example of the power of prayer in the face of a sinful and scoffing nation.
And if we are anxious about the future of our worship here then we also are bidden to solid and unceasing prayer together.
But then in the gospel Jesus points to three things.
First, He speaks against sectarianism. If others honour His name then they should not be opposed. Where His disciples in any land or city are focussed on Him then they will already be united even when their services and orders are different.
We certainly know the love and fellowship of our colleagues in the Parish Church in this sense. One love even if services and orders of ministry differ.
Second, He opposes anything that may cause the little ones to stumble. These are the believers who know Jesus Christ but are not festooned with many and great learnings. Yet these may also be intimidated by intellectual snobbery and be discouraged from pursuing their faith, especially when times of trial arise for them.
Third is the saltiness of the church – its distinctiveness in the community. When its first loyalty is to the Lord and this is expressed in simple care for the neighbour, the simple speaking of the truth without rancour or anger or bitterness, then this is discipleship.
Much of the time it will not be noticed – but again, in times of trial and stress, when the murk gathers then the light also may shine the more brightly.
But if that light is dimmed, indistinct, muted and misdirected then it offers nothing special.
Likewise the salt: its purpose is to preserve and to give taste but if debased and tasteless then it has no purpose and who will want to keep it?
Perhaps our three lessons are linked by a commitment: the devotion and self-giving of Esther; the place of prayer shown by Esther and James; the importance of prayer and unity of faith as we continue to serve the Lord in our own time and place.
