Communication is key in the story of Esther. When a message is not clear, problems result. Haman had not told King Xerxes that the “certain people” he wanted to destroy were the Jews. When Xerxes asked Haman how to honor a person, the king did not name the person. Haman was shocked and humiliated when it wasn’t him.
Get Beyond Cultural Biases
Esther, a Jewish woman, had to give Xerxes, a Gentile man, a difficult message. Yet, we see her doing a superb, concise job. Esther 7: 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.”[1]
Esther entered with a humble attitude: if I have found favor.Then, she framed the situation as a threat to her and her people without naming the Jews. She told of the great injustice. They have not been sold into slavery but sold into death, thus indirectly pointing to the money Haman gave.
She used a direct quote from the decree itself to identify what she was speaking about. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. From this, Haman would have recognized in a moment that he had inadvertently condemned the queen to death. The king seemed to be confused and asked who had done this. It is then that Esther can name Haman as the evil perpetrator.
Communicating the Gospel Today
Our culture has become much more secular today, and few people are Biblically literate. This means communicating the Gospel message is more difficult than just a few years ago. Many people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care for them. We need to build a relationship with people before evangelizing them. Just as Esther used language the king could understand, we, too, must avoid theological terms and give them the message in everyday language.
The Holy Spirit opens hearts to hear and understand the Gospel message. Thus, we must have our spiritual ears open to the Spirit’s guidance when talking about Jesus. He will give us the timing and the words to say. Jesus taught His disciples to do the same.
Luke 12: 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.[2]
Communication is key when sharing the Gospel. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/reversal-of-fortunes
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Es 7:3–4). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Lk 12:11–12). (2016). Crossway Bibles.