Courage to Stand Up

Gracious God, as we turn to your Word for us, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. Amen.

So welcome back to the sermon series I am calling Unthinkable courage. A reminder for those who were here last week and an introduction to those just joining:

Unthinkable Courage is a sermon series all about women of the bible doing unthinkable things, not because they should not do something, but because they had the courage to help. The Bible is full of stories of the lives of women who play a unique role in the unfolding of God’s plans throughout history. From Eve to Deborah to Pheobe, these women introduce us to a variety of experiences, challenges and contributions. In some moments we see weakness and danger of falling into sin, yet in others we see acts of courage. They were mothers, wives, leaders, prophets and more, shaping biblical history in profound ways. So today we look at these stories to see the lessons they have to share with us about faith, resilience, wisdom, obedience and redemption.

The goal of the series is looking at the stories of women in the bible to inspire courage in everyone. When we are solely focused on Jesus Christ, we can miss out on the people who came before him to get us to where we are. In addition, this series is a reminder that God works through all people, regardless of gender or status, to fulfill God’s promises. This inclusion of women throughout the Bible further enriches God’s message of love, grace and salvation for all.

We also took the time to understand and define the word courage, with its many definitions. How did we choose a definition? We didn’t. We took them together and discovered that courage is action. Courage is not idle but takes chances in the midst of danger. Courage is strength, bravery, confidence and more. Last week we began with the five women surrounding Moses’ birth and today we see the story of a woman named Esther.

Would you be surprised to hear that the Jews are in danger once again? No, really.  Once a gain they have found themselves in a place they shouldn’t be and being targeted by someone who really doesn’t like them. This is the story found in the book of Esther. Before we get to our scripture reading there is so much, we have to talk about. We begin with some context about how the Jews end up in Persia.

After Moses’ birth the chaos of life hits the Israelites, also known as Jews. Here’s what we know; the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt until Moses shows up and says, “Pack your bags, we’re leaving.” Followed by  dramatic showdowns with Pharaoh, and a last-minute escape through the Red Sea.

Then comes the wilderness era, 40 years of wandering around, snacks called manna, and lots of complaining. Eventually, they make it into the Promised Land, set up shop, and things are… okay-ish. This period rolls into kings like David and Solomon, a golden age with a temple and everything.

But then after many bad decisions, things go downhill spiritually and politically. Foreign empires swoop in. First, the northern kingdom falls. Then Babylonian Exile happens: many Jews are taken to Babylon. Eventually, the Persians conquer Babylon and say, “Hey, you can go home if you want.” Some do, but not everyone leaves. A bunch of Jews stay scattered across the Persian Empire. These are stories for another day, but if you want to know more details just read a few books of the bible in your free time.

This morning I am going to walk you through the entire book of Esther. I know that seems like a lot but it’s the best way to understand her story. One thing I want you to think about as we hear her story is that when this book was written the author never explicitly mentions God. We hear this story about the chosen people and yet there is not a moment that they cry out to God in distress. But they are saved in the end. We will come back to this later.

The Book of Esther is set in the Persian Empire during the reign of King Ahasuerus. The story opens with a lavish royal banquet in the capital city of Susa. During the celebration, Queen Vashti refuses the king’s command to appear before his guests, which leads to her removal as queen.

Queen Vashti, refusing to be exploited is important to know and pay attention to. In that time, women were not always treated with respect and instead of being the object of disrespect Queen Vashti says no to the king. Culturally in that society, a woman’s value was found in her beauty and her ability to have children. Outside of that the expectation would be for her to be beautiful, a quiet soul and a natural caregiver. So, for her to say no to a man would be against all cultural and societal norms.

I don’t think she believed she would be replaced so easily and she knows this would cause trouble, but this would become what starts the chain of events. This is her act of courage to protect herself from the public spectacle, to show other women they can say no in vulnerable situations. This was unheard of for a woman to have her own opinion.

Since Queen Vashti was so opinionated, the king’s advisors suggest finding a new queen, and a search is conducted across the empire. Among the young women brought to the palace is Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai. Following Mordecai’s guidance, Esther keeps her Jewish identity hidden. Remember that the Jews were scattered among the Persian Empire and would have kept a low profile after all that has happened to them in recent years.  

Guess who wins this contest? Esther. After all was said and done, she wins the king’s favor and is crowned queen. This is her first act of courage.

At the same time, Mordecai, who works at the king’s gate, uncovers a conspiracy by two officials to assassinate the king. He reports it through Esther, and the plot is stopped. Although Mordecai is not immediately rewarded, the king knows he saves his life.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking official named Haman is promoted above all others. The king commands that people bow to Haman, but Mordecai refuses, likely due to his Jewish beliefs. Haman becomes furious and, learning of Mordecai’s background, expands his anger into a plan to destroy all the Jewish people throughout the empire. He comes up with the date for this plan and convinces the king to issue a decree ordering their destruction.

Surprise, surprise we find someone who hated the Jews. Haman is a man with a big ego and without understanding Jewish religious customs, he has begun to plot against all the Jewish people.

When Mordecai learns of the decree, he cries out publicly and urges Esther to act. At first, Esther hesitates because approaching the king without being summoned could lead to death. Mordecai challenges her, suggesting that she may have become queen “for such a time as this.” Esther then decides to take the risk. She asks the Jewish community to fast on her behalf and prepares herself before going to the king.

It’s important to know here that the King and Queens relationship would be one of convenience and publicity. Esther would be treated more like a prized possession to display when the king felt like it, so she would feel powerless going to him in her time of need. This is her second act of courage, to go to the king to stand up for her people. When she approaches him, he welcomes her instead of punishing her. Rather than immediately revealing her request, Esther invites the king and Haman to a banquet, and then to a second banquet. This was her way of creating a positive environment so when she made her request known, the king would be in a good mood.

Between these events, the king experiences a sleepless night. He discovers that Mordecai was never rewarded for exposing the assassination plot. At that very moment, Haman arrives to ask permission to punish Mordecai, but instead the king asks Haman how to honor someone the king wishes to reward. Thinking the honor is for himself, Haman suggests a grand public display. The king then orders Haman to carry out these honors for Mordecai instead. Now Haman’s hatred is growing because of the humiliation, which means the Jewish people would be feeling the pressure. Then Esther does the unthinkable in her third act of courage.

At Esther’s second banquet, she finally reveals her Jewish identity and exposes Haman’s plan to destroy her people. The king is outraged and orders Haman to be executed on the very structure he had prepared for Mordecai. I know that takes a bit of a dark turn in the story, but this would be  how intense life was back then. Things change quickly and no one would question a king. Esther and Mordecai have become important to the king, becoming invaluable to his status in the Persian Empire. The king is smart enough to recognize that they needed his help and to see the true character of Haman. This courage that we see from Esther would be the very thing that saves her people.

What is Esther teaching us? The Book of Esther presents courage not as the absence of fear, but as the decision to act despite real risk. Esther has many moments where she thinks this is all a bad idea to get involved. She was a young woman who found herself n a position of influence by chance and it was important for her to stand up for the Jewish people. And more importantly for herself.

Esther knows that approaching the king without being summoned could cost her life, yet she chooses to step forward when she realizes the stakes for her people. Her courage is thoughtful and strategic; she prepares through fasting, seeks support from her community, and times her actions wisely rather than rushing in impulsively.

The story shows that courage often grows out of a sense of responsibility, as Mordecai challenges her to see her position as an opportunity to make a difference. Ultimately, Esther teaches that courage can look like using your voice, your influence, and your moment, even when the outcome is uncertain, to stand up for others and do what is right.

Before we got into the book of Esther, I told you all that the author of the book, who is anonymous, decided not to explicitly mention God. Although this book is all about saving God’s chosen people. Yet somehow this story felt like God has had a hand in it the entire time. Conveniently, Mordecai hears the plot against the king, somehow the queen says no to the king to humiliate him publicly and is removed from her position; and even the high official is so prideful that he plotted against an entire group of people because of one person.

Why would I mention this? Because often in the places where you lose sight of God, are the places where you are seeing God working the most. The Jewish people have been through so much, but they don’t lose sight of who they are as a people. And this courage that Esther has is rooted in that. This courage building up in her is in tandem with the Spirit of God.

Courage is more than an action word as we have seen today. Courage lifts up the most vulnerable people to do the greatest things. Courage creates a firm foundation for you to stand up and fight for what is right. Courage gives you confidence to be the person you want to be, without letting the world get in the way.

How does the story end for Esther, Mordecai and the Jewish people? With Victory.

People are saved once again because one woman stood up. How much can you do for your community if you stood up for all people?

Amen.