Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated. But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, December 7, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Mordecai is the example of what happens when people refuse to bend to worldly authority for moral reasons. We have Esther up in the castle, hiding her Jewish identity and dutifully obeying both her uncle and the King. Now we see Mordecai among regular society refusing to worship Haman because (although it is not said) God’s commandments forbid it. Jews got in trouble all over the Hebrew Bible for refusing to bow down to kings and idols. This is another example.
God is the only true authority for Mordecai and for us. But if we actually live that way, we put ourselves in a position to be retaliated against by the powers that be. Thus protesters, activists, and dissenters are arrested, assaulted, or murdered. Thus writers and artists who draw public attention to the evils of unjust economies and governments are derided and defamed (or arrested, assaulted, murdered, etc.) At the very least, taking a stand against oppression takes time, energy, and resources and isn’t comfortable. God calls us out of our comfort and into the world on behalf of justice.
How many of us, down in our hearts, would just rather bow to Haman and be done with it? How many of us are aware that this is just what we do when we sit by and accept the unjust systems in which we are complicit?
May God give us the willingness to answer God’s call despite the challenges.
How can I follow Mordecai’s example in my life?