Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, June 28, 2026
by Madison Johnston, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: God’s justice manifests in our unique traits, our unique situations, and our unique abilities to listen for, and to actively engage, the creativity that permeates our world.
In the beginning of Chapter 3, we learn that Haman was promoted to a position of power over other officials and servants of King Ahasuerus. As Haman transitions into his new role, he expects his now-subjects to bow down to him in reverence. Mordecai is the only one who refuses to do so, citing his Jewish faith—his steadfast obedience to God, and God alone—as the reason. Haman’s response is laid out for us shortly afterward:
13Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation, calling on all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Haman took advantage of his new resources, his platform, and King Ahasuerus’s trust in order to exact petty revenge on someone he deemed lesser than himself. He wanted to make a big statement, and he chose ethnic and religious cleansing as his tool.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about our passage today, then, is the indirectness of the conversation that takes place between Mordecai and Esther. This is such a dire, desperate circumstance. And a time-sensitive one, at that. Why would the author of this book take the time to explain that Esther and Mordecai communicated via middleman? Why include Hathach in this exchange at all?
It could be that highlighting the messenger duties of a eunuch speaks to the historical norms and expectations of Esther’s time. But a richer theory is that fleshing out all three characters and including them equally in such an important call to action speaks to the fact that God’s salvific work in the world is participatory. The author is trying to show us that Mordecai, Hathach and Esther each have something unique and necessary to bring to the solution.
There are deeply interesting gender-based, class-based and generally privilege-framed questions that come up for us in comparing Mordecai, Hathach and Esther. Whose voice matters the most? And when? And where? Who is closest to which kinds of power in day to day life? Who is the most free from stereotypes based on station? Who has the most influence—and of what kind?
In listening to their negotiation, we learn that success in their venture will take a lot of different skill sets, commitments and ideas unique to individual people. A speaking of truth to power. An earnest representation of multiple perspectives. Deep listening. Quick, instinctual responses. Risk-taking. Patience. Challenges. Questions. Invitations. Personalizations.
The fluidity and intersectionality of Mordecai, Hathach and Esther—not to mention the textual implication that success will depend on all of them being engaged and involved—is fascinating sermon fodder. It shows us that kingdom building doesn’t ever look just one way. It promises us that leaning into a call isn’t the same thing as walking a tightrope. And it helps us engage congregational imagination today, asking:
What are the unique traits you bring into your relationships? Where are you situated in your family and in your community? If you were Mordecai, banging on the palace door in fear for your life, what is the moment you would be calling your leadership to meet? If you were Hathach, stewarding precious messages from vastly different perspectives, how would you practice integrity in translation? And if you were Esther, moving at the speed of an entire reality shift, what would signal to you that you were uniquely suited to try something different?
We shape the arc of God’s justice through our talents and our circumstances—through nature and through nurture. In a time when ethnically-driven political movements, organized mass killings and a range of approaches to the act of protest are all too familiar, let us remember that we can—we must—take multifaceted and creative approaches that stem from our very essence. God wouldn’t have it any other way.
