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Esther 9:3-4 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

There is probably a good lesson for us to learn from the fact that this book of the Bible is called ‘Esther’.  She was certainly a key figure the Sovereign LORD used powerfully to save his Chosen People from destruction, and her courage and faith and trust in her God at ‘such a time as this’ are commendable examples for us to emulate in our own circumstances in history.

But her cousin, Mordecai, is the one who is the real hero of the book.  He is the one who, quietly and humbly behind the scenes, exemplified a steadfast, consistent witness to God’s faithfulness and sovereign power that influenced the people in key positions of authority and power to enable God’s plan to succeed.  (I tried replacing ‘Esther’ with ‘Mordecai’ in my recitation of the Books of the Bible from my Sunday School days, but ‘Ezra Nehemiah Mordecai Job Psalms Proverbs’ didn’t seem to have the same ring about it – so I think we’re best to stick with ‘Esther’!).

Let us learn two things from today’s verses:

Firstly, our quiet, consistent witness to God’s work in our daily lives, in our behaviour, speech and actions, can have a much bigger and wider impact on the cause of the Gospel than we ever realise (or even find out about within our ‘—’, as in my late wife’s ‘Patricia Jean Christian, 1944–2025’), so let us always seek just to do what God requires of us: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8a) as Mordecai did, and:

Secondly, let us remember, with great gratitude to our God, all those ‘Mordecais’ who, without ‘pomp and circumstance’ have faithfully carried the light of the Gospel in dark situations and made a real difference as ‘salt’ and ‘light’, especially in our own lives, and who, when they come to the end of their  ‘—’ will at last receive the blessing: “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23)

Nevertheless, when all is said and done, I want also to identify with Dustin Kensrue’s words (to the tune of Auld Land Syne): “Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive, unless the Lord does raise the house in vain its builders strive.  To you who boast tomorrow’s gain, tell me what is your life?  A mist that vanishes at dawn – All glory be to Christ. All glory be to Christ our King!  All glory be to Christ!  His rule and reign we’ll ever sing: All glory be to Christ!”  Soli Deo Gloria.

– Bruce Christian