Sermon - 2013-08-04 - The Queen of Beauty and Courage

Within the life and times of God’s people, God calls us to be instruments in many different ways.  God places us in certain places to use our status, gifts and abilities to bring forth the Kingdom of God.  Today we gather and bear witness to the ways in which the life of a woman some 2500 years ago, still influences and affects our own society.  In fact, some things have not changed at all.  Yes, there is now technology.  Events do happen in a different part of the world, but in many regards things are not that much different.  

When King Xerexes wants to get a wife, he holds a beauty contest.  Think how much our world, even with todays values and emphasizes on beauty and youth.  Just like the Miss America or any other fashion show, we reduce a wife, a woman, to her outward appearance.  We do this within our own society. We value how a woman holds herself, how others view her and that our outward appearance is what matters.  Our world and the society around us says that these things are what matters.  If you don’t believe me, talk to some of our high school students.  The halls of a high school are often very much like a fashion show, the right name brands, the right looks are important. Watch some of the television and movies that are targeted towards this age group.

Not only that, but King Xerexes is the one who puts into law that men are the head of households and that women are to obey the men.  Setting an inferiority between the two genders in which the man is the superior gender.  Some of you may be thinking but it’s not that way now, and you are right.  Only a hundred years ago, women had to fight for that right to be seen as equal and it is still a struggle for some to feel equal today.  Some struggle to feel that society is supporting them and allowing them to share all their gifts and abilities within the world.  

However, God has a different message. God does not make a distinction between male and female within the world, but what does matter is what God calls you to do with your gifts and abilities here in this world.  God places Esther into the palace of King Xerexes. Through this position and status, she is able to save her people, the people of Israel, from destruction of enemies around them.  God uses Esther to be an instrument to help God’s people share God’s love within the world.  

Now if you are sitting here today, you have witnessed the time within your life that God has called you.  God does not look upon you as male or female, but simply as “My beloved child" because of your Baptism. Through your Baptism, you have been adopted, loved, and cared for as God’s very own child within this world and in death.  Within the life of Esther, she was called to help many people and in order to do so she had to put her own life on the line.  I pray that never comes to you.  Yet within this world of living, we know that one day our life will end.  We do not know the day nor the hour. But simply that our time on this Earth is for but a few short years.  Yet within those years, God will call you to share that love that God has shared with you. God will call you to share the good news that has been shared with you. God will call you to be his instrument within the world.  

How do I know this?  This is what Esther was called to do.  This is what Christ was called to do.  This is what the people of God are called to do.  Now this order is important.  First, things come from God and we should never forget that.  It is out of that love, out of that purpose we are called back into the world to help those who are in need.  Not to correct their way of life, but help them understand that love, to experience that love and for us to share all that God has given to us.  

Thanks be to God that we are able to do this each and every single day.