THROW A PARTY
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. Esther 9: 20-2
Mordecai had supernatural eyesight. He was able to see thousands of years down the road. Because he declared the day of Jewish freedom a holiday, he invented an annual party. To this day, the Jews tell the story of Esther, Mordecai, and Haman to their children and they celebrate the deliverance of their ancestors.
“Review and Remember” is a continual theme throughout scripture. We are to commemorate the moments of God’s faithfulness with joyful celebration. We’re encouraged to tell others the stories. I can imagine that Jacob told his children, and his grandchildren, the account of the incident at Bethel. It became a familiar bedtime tale. The Jewish people of old did not need to fabricate fairy tales to entertain their children. Instead, they related the narratives of their own lives. Interesting plots were plentiful.
I recall the many years I had little news to tell. My spiritual life was uneventful. I knew theology and could certainly talk about that but passing along theological information divorced from the context of a personal relationship with God is always as dry as dust.
John Wesley said, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.” Each of us has a story. There should be at least a handful of life- defining moments spiritually. Does anybody know yours? We should invent some personal holidays, invite our extended families to the party, and start telling the stories of our lives. The point is not to make myself the hero! While I’m certainly one of the main characters on stage, God is the star of the show. The glorious moments He revealed His hand and left His fingerprints are the point of it all. May our descendants ‘remember and review’ our spiritual legacies for the sake of inspiration and instruction.
It’s time to open my mouth. May I not go to the grave silent and rob my family of knowing Your power and glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Originally published Wednesday, 15 May 2019.
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