03-27-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 27, 2020
Scripture: Esther 1:1
This happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the same Ahasuerus who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.

Thought for the Day: Is that not a really good start to a story? In just a few words, we are made to feel as if we know this character (even if we don’t) and to sense his power. It connects to the reader in many different ways, engaging him/her quickly by immediately sparking the imagination and curiosity. I have so many questions about this Ahasuerus, specifically in regard to how he came to such power – was it money, charisma, luck of the draw? This coming Sunday, I will be preaching from Esther. It is one of the great stories found in the Bible, though it’s funny how the most common comment is how the book of Esther never mentions God. For so many, that seems problematic, even causing some throughout history to suggest that it shouldn’t be included in the Bible. If anything, I believe it might be one of the more important books of the Bible. It does not describe someone who is going to talk a good game, and then having nothing to show for it. Esther is just the opposite. She is this amazing witness of faithfulness and devotion, justice and righteousness. All you need to do is look at her life and you know something is different. Maybe there is something for us to learn when it comes to sharing the message of God. Maybe John’s Gospel was trying to tell us something when it spoke of the Word taking on flesh.

Prayer: Draw me into Esther’s story, O Holy God. Allow me to discern and appreciate what her life witness has to share with the world. Provide me with a bit of the courage put on display in her life. Amen.

---

---

via WordPress https://ift.tt/3bvwdZk