For Such a Time as This!

14th Sunday after Pentecost, Stewardship Sunday #2, 9/18/11
Esther 4:12-16


For Such a Time as This!
I. A time of vision
II. A time of saving


March 19, 2011. Do you remember what you were doing on that date? Most of you probably don’t. I had to look at the date in my appointment book. It fell on a Saturday during Lent. I had nothing written down on that date, so I probably spent that day much like other Saturdays. How about you? If you don’t recall the date as anything special in your life, you probably spent it in much the same way.

But not if you were Jewish. On March 19, 2011 Jewish people celebrated the festival of Purim. Are you familiar with it? Maybe not. We recall the Passover as one of the Jewish festivals, but that’s not likely with Purim.

Purim is celebrated in honor of a woman named Hadassah. That was her Jewish name. You probably know her better as Esther, the woman highlighted in this morning’s sermon text. Purim also celebrates how God used Esther to save her fellow Jews from Haman’s wicked plot to exterminate them all. Today, the festival of Purim begins in Jewish fashion at sundown and continues into the next day. The celebration involves exchanging gifts of food and drink with neighbors and by doing acts of charity for the poor. In other words, it’s about contributing the needs of others and being generous in doing so. And there’s the point of contact between this text and our stewardship focus this morning.

That Esther found herself in a position to offer her help was due to her uncle, a man named Mordecai. It was Mordecai who reminded Esther that God had placed her in her position for such a time as this. For such a time as this. Let’s use those words as our encouragement in contributing to the needs of others and doing so generously.


Part I.

How much do you recall about Esther? Perhaps you recall that she became the queen of the Babylonians, the greatest nation on the earth in her day. Her immediate past had been rosy, to say the least. As a young Jewish woman she was chosen as one of many young women to be in the running for the position of queen. For an entire year she was pampered beyond the wildest dreams of most women. There were 6 months of oil treatments for her skin and another 6 months of perfume and cosmetic treatments, all to make her as beautiful as possible for the day on which Xerxes would choose one of these women to be his queen. Esther was his choice. And now she was enjoying her royal position. Things had turned out quite well for her!

But her distant past—that was another story. She was one of the exiles from Judah living in Babylon. Worse yet, she was orphaned and living with her cousin. Her future at that point was as uncertain as could be.

With that being the case, when she was chosen as a queen candidate, do you suppose Esther had the mindset, “It’s about time! After all I’ve been through I deserve a break like this!”? We don’t know for sure, but maybe she did.

And we can relate to that. Even though we haven’t been through an exile and likely aren’t orphaned, life has been difficult for us at times. In fact, there are times when we wonder how much more we can take. And then something good comes along, something unexpected. At first we may feel thankful. In fact, we may wonder, “Why me? Why should this wonderful thing happen to me?” but then it isn’t long before we often assume the opposite mindset, “Why not me? I watch as good things happen to other people who are far less deserving than I am. So this time it’s my turn. In fact, I was overdue for something good to happen to me.” Our focus is all on ourselves.

Esther seems to have fallen into that mindset. The wicked Haman had hatched a plot to kill all the Jews. In fact, he had duped King Xerxes into signing it into law. Esther, who had attained the highest position of any woman in the powerful Babylonian Empire, perhaps thought she was safe in her posh palace. But that’s when her Uncle Mordecai reminded her, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.” He reminded her of the grim fact that the new law demanded her execution as well. His words called for her to remove her focus from herself, and to place it on her people and the terrible days that lay ahead for them. He called her to action with these words, “For you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” He was calling on her to lift her eyes beyond the gold covered walls of her palace and out of her comfy confines in order to see the plight of her people and the tremendous opportunity she had to contribute to the needs of others and to do so generously. For such a time as this—a time of vision!

Jesus once said that each day has enough trouble of its own (Mt. 6:34) and we know how true that is! Many are the times when we feel we have more than our fair share of trouble. And that’s one of the reasons that our vision is often trained right here, on ourselves. And the longer it stays there the easier it becomes to leave it there. To make matters worse, we’re fighting our sinful nature which places blinders over our eyes if we try to look anywhere besides at ourselves. But on the other hand, we like to think we’re conscientious and considerate of others. We like to think we help where we can and when we can. We even like to think that we’re generous in doing so. But the truth is we conveniently pass up opportunities to contribute to the needs of others. We can find more than enough excuses to do so. We remind ourselves that we need to focus on old number one—ourselves.

How different Jesus was! He was all about humility, coming to this earth to serve us, not himself. He knew exactly what he needed to do to help a world full of undeserving sinners. His vision was worldwide. His vision led him all the way to Calvary’s cross where he suffered the punishment for every sin and won our eternal rescue. Christ’s love for us caused him to call us as his own. Part of our calling as a Christians is to contribute to the needs of others, generously. Our God has placed us here for such a time as this.


Part II.

In short order Esther agreed with her Uncle Mordecai. She realized she had been placed in her position as queen for such a time as this.

But it led her to count the cost. Think about it. Maybe Mordecai was wrong. Maybe her life would be spared. Going to the king uninvited was very risky business. You see, rulers in those days had to be wary of assassination attempts constantly. Anyone walking into the king’s presence uninvited was suspect and could be killed on the spot. Esther was risking her life, her posh surroundings, her position as queen, her entire future by attempting to help her people.

Do you think she struggled with selfishness? We’re not told she was, but it’s a good bet that she struggled with it at least momentarily. Wouldn’t you? Everything she had worked hard to attain was in the balance.

But she decided to act. Perhaps she was most persuaded by one thing Mordecai said more than all the others. He had said, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place.” How could he be so sure? Many commentators take his words to be his unshaken trust in God’s promises to deliver his people as dire as their situation might become. After all, he had promised to send the world’s Savior through these people and that hadn’t happened yet. He would have to deliver some of them somehow.

And that turns our thoughts to Jesus. He, too, had to count the cost. It didn’t take him long. All along he knew that rescuing sinners from eternal hell would cost him his life. He knew that was the plan. He knew that’s why he had come to this earth.

And he willingly paid it. Never once did selfishness enter his heart and mind. In fact, he spoke words of encouragement to others as he was led up Calvary’s hill to his death. How amazing! And while he was on the cross, he looked after the needs of his mother, not his own. He was concerned that his heavenly Father would forgive his enemies. In spite of the taunts to prove who he was by saving himself and coming down from cross, he willingly stayed nailed there until all was fulfilled, until his work for us was finished.

Jesus knew that he had been placed here for such a time as this—a time of saving. In a smaller way, Esther realized that as well.

Is that part of your vision? Part of our calling as God’s people is to save others in ways small and large. Our entire lifetime is our “for such a time as this” moment. Is there someone in your life that needs saving from a huge dilemma? Then this is your time to do what you can. Maybe you know someone who is struggling with countless smaller things that, combined, are overwhelming them. Then this is your time to help with at least of few of those things.

But how about expanding your saving vision a little farther? Try seeing sinners the way Jesus did—as lost souls who need the salvation he offers. Perhaps you could make sure someone gets to church by inviting them to come with you. Maybe there’s a young person who has the gifts for the teaching or preaching ministry and you can offer a word of encouragement or participate in our education fund. Maybe you could find a mission or a ministry that interests you and support it above and beyond your offerings and interest here. Maybe there’s a child who needs to hear the simple truths about their Savior Jesus.

You see, it’s all about Jesus. He’s the one who came to help eternally condemned people from extermination in hell. He won our forgives and makes us holy in the eyes of our God. He gives us life with him forever.

That’s what moves us to act for such a time as this. May our God fill your life with opportunities to help others physically and spiritually! Amen.