Read Esther 4:1-16
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” –Esther 4:12-14
One of my favorite movies of all time is Saving Private Ryan. The movie also contains one of the most frustrating characters of all time—Corporal Upham. From the beginning of the movie, we understand that Upham is not much of a fighting man. He is a linguist and map-maker who was drafted into Captain Miller’s squad as an interpreter. That doesn’t mean, though, that he was exempt from battle. And sadly, it was in those crucial moments of battle that Corporal Upham let his team down the most.
In the final battle scene of the movie (the Battle of Remmel), two of Upham’s squadmates set up a machine gun in a tower to lay down suppressing fire against the advancing Nazi army. Upham’s job was to supply them with ammunition whenever they needed to reload. In the terror of the battle, though, Upham froze, leaving his squadmates without ammo. By the time Upham found the courage to climb to their tower, he found a German soldier about to kill his squadmate in hand-to-hand combat. Even though he had the power to rescue his friend, Upham froze again—what if his shot missed? Upham backed away from the struggle and curled up on the stairs in a fetal position. The German soldier literally stepped over him as he descended the stairs; he was no threat to anyone.
I thought of Corporal Upham while reflecting on Esther’s story. Esther lived roughly 100 years after Daniel. By that time, the Babylonian empire had been supplanted by the Persian empire. Many of the Israelite exiles had returned home to Jerusalem to rebuild their lives. But large numbers of the Jewish people remained and raised their families in a foreign land. This would become known as the Jewish diaspora.
The faith of the Jewish people continued to put them at odds with their neighbors. Because they worshipped a foreign God (Yahweh) and because they refused to participate in local feasts and religious festivals, they were often viewed with distrust. This is the backdrop against which Esther’s story plays out.
Because of her beauty, Esther was chosen to become one of the king’s wives—her identity as a Jew, though, remained hidden from the king and his court. For a brief season of her life, Esther enjoyed favor and luxury unlike anything she had known before. But the king’s chief advisor, a man named Haman, hated the Jews. He convinced the king to sign a petition allowing the slaughter of the Jewish people (and the seizure of their property) across all provinces of the Persian Empire.
Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, petitioned her to intercede with the King on behalf of the Jewish people. But Esther explained to her uncle that it had been over a month since she was in the King’s presence. If she approached the King without invitation, and he did not extend his golden scepter to her, she would be put to death. Mordecai was asking Esther to risk her life.
But Mordecai pressed upon Esther: Perhaps this is why you were given the opportunity to become the King’s queen—not for your own safety, but to intercede for Your people. We can see in Mordecai’s words the choice that was before Esther: it wasn’t just a choice between safety and risk, but between fear and purpose. Whereas Corporal Upham was frozen by fear, Esther stepped boldly into her purpose. You can read the rest of Esther’s story to see how it turned out, but suffice to say the king was moved by her beauty and courage. Through her bravery, God saved his people.
Esther faced a difficult threshold. She could stay safe where she was, but only by denying her identity and abandoning her purpose. She would’ve lived with a crushing weight of guilt, with the unanswerable question of “What might’ve happened” if she’d taken the risk. It would be nice if we could find our purpose without having to risk anything, but that’s not how life works. Risk is necessary for human flourishing—it’s the only way we discover the fullness of who we are meant to be.
When have you faced an important risk in your life? What risks might be present in the threshold choices that are before you now? Consider where God has placed you, the people who are within your “sphere of influence.” Consider what causes, or people, might be depending upon your voice. Sit with Mordecai’s question for your own life: “Who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?”
O Lord, give me eyes to see those who are looking to me for protection. Give me ears to hear Your call to action on their behalf. Give me courage to risk myself for others. In all these ways, help me to step into the person You have created me to be. Amen.