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For Whom, Now?

October 30th, 2024

Esther 6:7-14

When my sons were younger, they liked to watch stories featuring Thomas the Tank Engine. In those stories, there is an engine named Gordon. Gordon is big, strong, and fast, so he normally pulls the express. When asked to complete a task he deems unworthy of him, Gordon often says, “Oh, the indignity.”

Haman was probably having very similar feelings in today’s text. He hated Mordecai and had plotted to have Mordecai executed at his home. When King Xerxes had asked Haman how the one the king delights to honor should be honored, Haman assumed the king was referring to him, not Mordecai. Now, Haman was leading the parade honoring the man he hated. Oh, the indignity! I can imagine Haman asking King Xerxes, “For whom, now?” when the king told him to honor Mordecai in this way.

One of the sayings that gets thrown around in the church a lot is that the Lord works in mysterious ways. We see that in today’s story. In Esther, a book of the Bible that doesn’t even mention God, God is still at work, bringing about honor for Mordecai when Haman meant to harm him. No matter the circumstance, we can trust God.

Author: Joe Foltz