In Esther 4 and 5 Mordecai mourns, wearing sackcloth and ashes, outside the King’s gate. Queen Esther asks Mordecai to stop what he is doing. He refuses and tells her what Haman has done. He charges her to go to the king and ask to have the edict rescinded.

It is dangerous for Esther to go into the king when he has not asked for her presence. She tells this to Mordecai. He says that now is the time to let the king know that she is a Jew. She will not be protected just because she is in the king’s court. Mordecai believes that she has been put there just for this time. Esther asks him to gather the Jews in the city together to fast (and pray?) for three days. After that she will go in to the king even though it is against the law. If she dies, she dies.

Esther stands in the courtyard outside the throne room. The king sees her and calls for her. He asks what she wants and she simply invites the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet the king again asks Esther what she wants and she invites the king and Haman to another banquet the next day.

Haman is quite full of himself after having been the only one to be invited with the king to a banquet by the queen. As he leaves the palace he sees Mordecai, who continues to refuse to bow to him. He tells his wife what has happened. She suggests that he erect a gallows. He should then tell the king about Mordecai and have him hung on the gallows.

We must wait until tomorrow to see what happens next.

In Luke 11 the disciples ask Jesus how to pray. He gives them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. In it Jesus encourages us to call God “Father”. God wants a personal relationship with us. We are to acknowledge the holiness of God. We ask God to make his kingdom here on earth. We ask God for each day’s provision, not desiring more or less. We ask for God’s forgiveness, recognizing that we, too, are to forgive. We ask God to keep us from times of trial. Jesus encourages persistent prayer and petition. He promises that God will only give what is good for us.

Later while Jesus is casting out a demon some people accuse him of being in league with the demons. He says if that were so Satan would be divided against himself, which makes no sense. Instead the demons are cast out by one who is stronger than they, by God himself.

Jesus says that he is now a sign to the people to realize their sinfulness just as Jonah’s presence in Ninevah brought the citizens to repentance. The people of Ninevah repented. They will condemn those who see Jesus and do not repent.

A Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. He notices that Jesus doesn’t follow the purification rituals. Jesus accuses the Pharisees and lawyers of being clean on the outside but continuing to be unclean on the inside. They look good but, in fact, don’t do the things they should to care for the poor and oppressed.  They demand respect but do not show respect. They load people with burdens and do nothing to relieve those burdens.

We need to always be aware of our need for prayer which includes our ability to recognize our responsibilities as well. If we are to follow Christ we must acknowledge our need for God and our charge to become like Christ in our dealings with others. We are not made special because we are Christians; rather we are called to special service because Christ was a servant to all.