Meaning in the book of Esther is multilayered.
On the surface it is a comic historical novella. Perhaps created to give a religious meaning to the Jewish festival of Purim. Perhaps to remind the Jews in the diaspora (scattered throughout the Near East) that they are still a community with a covenant relationship to God. Perhaps as a counter balance to the exclusive message of Nehemiah and Daniel.
For centuries, church leaders both Jewish and Christian have tried to either remove Esther from the Bible or to add passages to it to make the book more overtly religious and Esther a more pious Jewish woman. Martin Luther wanted it removed because he said it contained "heathen naughties."
Beneath the comedy of the prose there is a dark side - young girls taken into the king's harem with little choice in the matter, women treated as if they were property, the persecuted minority using the violence of the majority to kill 75,000 people.
Inbetween the comedy and the darkness, there are lessons for us all.
Lessons like the truth that God uses ordinary people to work for the good of the community or that we experience God's grace through each other or that God sees beyond the obvious to who we really are and who we can become in God's love.
When have you experienced an unexpected gift of grace from an unlikely source?
When have you felt that God worked through you to bring a gift of grace to someone else?
My unexpected gift of grace from an unlikely source came from an acquaintance I met many years ago. We exchanged phone calls or emails rarely over the 16 years since we met. A few years ago he felt like he had to tell me something and kept calling or emailing to set up a call or visit. When we finally talked, he thanked me for being such an positive influence on his life and an inspiration to him. I was feeling that great about myself at the time, so this meant a lot.
ReplyDeleteI wish I were more open to bringing gifts of grace to other people. I don't always pay attention to the opportunities or carry them out when God calls. That being said, God allowed me to spend time with a friend I didn't know very well during the last few months of his life. His friends and family told me that my visits meant a lot to them and to him. God used my silly sense of humor to brighten the room and the mood. I think I got more out of the experience than I gave.