When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Freedom is one of those core values that we, as humans, seek and we, as Americans, cherish.  It is a significant part of our story, but of course, the story began long before the concept of the United States of America ever appeared on the scene of human history.  It is the story that Moses and the Israelites longed for over 3,000 years ago.  This longing is repeated every time tyranny raises its ugly head.  But freedom is never free.  It is initiated with a cost and it comes with an expectation. 

Esther was free, but she had not always been.  Her story is a great story and it begins as all great stories do, “Once upon a time…”

Once upon a time there was a woman named Esther.  Her story is told in the book of the Bible that bears her name.  It is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God’s name.  John Wesley wrote, “The name of God is not found in this book, but the finger of God is, directing so many minute events for the deliverance of his people.” We first meet Esther as an orphaned Jewish girl living in the fourth century B.C. Persian Empire being cared for by her older cousin, Mordecai.  Through an unlikely chain of events and with the drama of an ancient episode of “The Bachelor”, Esther became Queen to King Ahasuerus.  One day Esther was faced with a crisis of freedom.  As Queen she was living in the lap of luxury, but as a Jew she was facing destruction through the devious plot of the vicious villain Haman.  Mordecai had sent word to the queen explaining that her freedom was not free, it came with expectations.  It came with responsibilities.

We find the crisis of freedom in Esther 4:12-14. Before we read the scripture, I’d like for us to prepare for the Word, by acknowledging its power for our lives through this familiar line of Psalm 119:105.  Let’s sing it through twice, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  Hear now the Word of the Lord even as you join me in our search for buried treasure:

¹²When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, ¹³Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

This is the word of God for the people of God.  In this passage the author of Esther encouraged readers to consider that they may just be in the right place at the right time. Mordecai encouraged Esther to exercise her freedom responsibly.  As we celebrate our freedom as Americans and as Christians, let us exercise our freedom responsibly.  This story instructs us that we are free to resist evil, free to reach out to others, and free to remember our story.
 

You are free to Resist evil.

Mordecai resisted evil on two levels.  One level was to stay away from it and the other was to oppose it.  He stayed away from it when two guys had threatened to assassinate the king.  He even got word to Esther about it, who warned the king.  Mordecai resisted evil when everyone else trembled and bowed before Haman, the king’s second in command.  Mordecai would do no such thing.  This bothered Haman so much that he could not see the hundreds of people bowing before him.  He could only see the one man standing.  Haman felt it beneath him to call Mordecai out, so discovering that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire.  He had drinks with the king and promised to line the treasury with a substantial gift if only the king would sign a decree to kill all the Jews.  The king, unaware that his queen was of Jewish descent, signed the decree with little thought.  Haman cast lots, or Purim, to see what day would mark the mass destruction of the Jews.  They landed on the 13^th of Adar. Mordecai decided that his resistance had to be stepped up a notch.  He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning and wailed loudly by the king’s gate.  Esther was so embarrassed.  She sent out a brand new set of clothes and a message for her cousin to clean up his act.  That’s when Mordecai reminded Esther that she was still a Jew even if she was a Persian Queen.  If all the Jews were to be destroyed, she too would be destroyed.  She had to speak to the king.  This was not as easy as it sounds.  The king had already gotten rid of one wife for disrespecting and the guys in charge were on high alert that their chauvinism was being threatened.  For her to barge into the king’s throne room without invitation could be an offense punishable by death.  Mordecai had already thought about this and offered the glimmer of hope, “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”  Esther asked for a chance to visit with the king and fortunately it was granted.

I am reminded of the time when I was being interviewed by the Board of Ordained ministry twenty years ago.  We were talking about race relations and I remarked that it had been my experience that when people get to know each other walls are removed.  The example I gave was of my friend Valerie who felt call to ministry in a church that does not ordain women, but they ordained Valerie.  They knew Valerie, had watched her grow up in the church, and witnessed God at work in her life.  Of course they would ordain Valerie.  I shared that I believe this dynamic is repeated over and over again.  Then one of the pastors looked at me and said quite sternly, “Kip, sometimes you have to address a matter because it is wrong and not simply wait for people to come around.”  Resisting evil does not only mean to stay away from it or not participate in it.  Sometimes you have to oppose it.

Have you found yourself fading into the woodwork when evil raises its ugly head?  You are free – exercise your freedom responsibly.  You are free to resist evil.  Mordecai was convinced that his people would be spared and that perhaps that was why Esther was in the right place at the right time.
 

You are free to Reach out to others.

The king accepted the invitation to come to dinner with Esther and as requested so did Haman.  In fact, Haman was so excited about the honor of being invited to dinner with the king and queen that he nearly skipped out of the palace, only to see Mordecai just outside the gate.  His very presence stole all the joy away from Haman who decided that he would have the man executed the next day.  That night, the king could not sleep and started reading the minutes of some previous meetings.  Remember what Wesley said of God’s finger prints being all over this story.  The king came to minutes of a meeting that discussed the assassination plot foiled be the faithfulness of Mordecai.  Now when the king can’t sleep no one can sleep.  He asked the servant what had been done to honor Mordecai.  Nothing had been done.  Just then Haman came into the palace, noting that the king’s light was on.  The king asked what should be done to someone whose faithfulness had been underappreciated.  Haman, was sure the king finally realize the jewel he had in his number two man and suggested a royal robe be given to the man and a grand procession be arranged.  The king said, “That’s a great idea.  Take care of those arrangements for my man Mordecai.  He saved my life and I never officially thanked him for it.”  It was going to be a long day for Haman.

The parade went off without a hitch and Haman was completely humiliated.  Then he had to go to dinner with the king and queen where the queen revealed Haman’s plot to kill her people and her.  The king was furious with Haman for not doing his homework and realizing that he had talked the king into signing a decree that would kill his own wife.  He had Haman executed on the very devise that Haman had constructed for Mordecai’s demise.  Then the king signed another decree that the Jews could defend themselves on the 13^th of Adar.  Now I can’t lie, there was some bloodshed as some tried to kill the Jews, but when the Jews fought back swiftly and firmly all was calm by the very next day, especially since the officials were on the king’s side, who was on the Jews’ side.  So the day destined to be a day of mourning became a day of feasting and celebrating.  The 14^th and 15^th of Adar became known as the Days of Purim and the custom was started that year of taking two days off, exchanging food with friends and giving gifts to the poor.

I like this response to their freedom.  Their response was to celebrate community and not leave anyone out, especially not the poor.  I wish you could have seen our Vacation Bible School kids shopping for the housewarming gifts for Habitat for Humanity two weeks ago.  They were lining up to look at what they could give to families who were moving into a home of their own.  It was a wonderful sight and how proud I was that some of our families were there to present those gifts to the three families that received their keys two weeks before our national Independence Day.  Our children understood that they were free – free to reach out to others and they exercised that freedom responsibly.  You are free to resist evil, free to reach out to others, and…
 

You are free to Remember your story.

So every year, this story is told and people all over the world remember when Esther and Mordecai resisted evil and reached out to the poor.  Tammy and I happened to be in Israel during the days of Purim about ten years ago.  Children were dressed up like it was Halloween, only they weren’t in scary costumes, they were in happy costumes, Treats were exchanged, games were played, and I have no doubt they reached out to the poor.  They understood that this is an important story.

That is what we do when we recite those words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  We remember our story as Americans.
 

It is what we do when we receive the Lord’s Supper and just before receiving the elements we pray, “Free us for joyful obedience.”  Freedom is never free.  Let us exercise our freedom responsibly.
 

So Happy Independence Weekend.  I invite you to celebrate your freedom by resisting evil, reaching out to others, and remembering your story.  Amen.