WHAT MAKES A MAN GREAT
Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people. Esther 10:3
The book of Esther concludes with a twist. Esther, the heroine, is not on center stage anymore. It is Mordecai who enjoys the spotlight.
His love for people has shaped his style of leadership. He knows that just because a person has the clout to make others fear him doesn’t mean that person should use it.
There are people in government who enjoy the heady feeling they experience when they write new laws. To imagine millions under their control, following their regulations to the letter, inflates their sense of importance. It’s the fodder of Pharisees.
Parents also bark orders and cause children to cower in submission. A mother or father who experienced helplessness as a child often makes the most dangerous kind of parent. The wrong kind of power never buys love. Others obey out of fear but love and respect are absent.
Mordecai was a type of Jesus. He was not self-obsessed. He rose to power only because his love for others was stellar. He was a forerunner to Jesus who came to serve mankind. Jesus showed the power of restraint. Instead of assuming a throne and using His muscle to force the world to bow at his feet, His power hid behind the face of tenderness. He declared His love, proved it at Calvary, then asked us to willingly kneel at His feet. Causing us to tremble and simply give lip service was not His style.
Today, every person in the Trinity still rules with the power of love. They call to us to intimacy, hoping we’ll take them up on their invitation. Today’s verse could be re-written. “Jesus is held in high esteem by his many followers because He works for the good of His people.”
I will use power over others today. Will I serve them or use them to feed my anemic ego? Make me like You, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Originally published Friday, 17 May 2019.
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