The Allure of Honor (Esther 5:9-6:14)

This past Sunday, I preached a sermon on the allure of honor taken from the passage of Esther 5:9-6:14. The message must be weighed against the backdrop of the series titled, "Divine Providence: the story of how God saved His people from total annihilation." When we consider the role of God behind the unfolding of historical events, it becomes clear that He is intimately involved when it comes to the preservation of His people.

Honor has an intriguing quality about it. It may refer to one's position as well as one's character. Those who hold positions of honor, however, do not always possess honorable character. Likewise, those who have honor may not possess a position of honor. What can we learn from the narrative of the book of Esther that can teach us about honor?

1. There are those who covet honor: Haman was one who pursued honor above everything else. But when he was denied honor, it is evident that honor became an idolatrous affair for him. Even after recounting the glory of his riches, the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and promoted him above others (Est 5:11), he remained dissatisfied at the sight of one man who deprived him of it. Like Simon the Sorcerer in Acts chapter 8, Haman coveted the praise of men and it drove him to perversion, cruelty and it reduced him to a tyrant in the pages of history.

2. There are those who confer honor: Isn't it interesting that the king was so disturbed the night after Esther's banquet that he came upon the record of Mordecai's honorable deed in exposing a murderous conspiracy against the king? And on the morning of Haman's plot to hang Mordecai, the king confers with him to honor Mordecai according to Haman's recommendations. Honor is more than a mere position of power - it is the quality of one's character. A man cannot honor himself - it must be recognized by those who have honor. Had the king forgotten Mordecai? Perhaps. But one might consider the possibility that God was simply waiting for the right timing to reveal it to the king.

3. There are those who collect honor: Imagine the horror of Haman at the order of the king to carry out the glorification of Mordecai! Here was a man not seeking honor, but to simply be about his responsibility, protecting the king and the kingdom and he is escorted by the very man who sought that honor for himself. Those who collect honor may even find their enemies offering gifts of praise to them (cf. Psalm 110:1). Consider the widow at the temple treasury in Luke 21 and how Jesus calls attention to her humble offering in contrast to the gifts of the wealthy. Those who do not seek honor will find it before those who would give anything to have it.

Honor has an alluring quality about it. Haman obsessed over honor, and although he held a position of honor in the court of the king, he was clearly not worthy of it. On the contrary, Mordecai did not hold a seat of honor in the king's court; neither did he care to pursue such a position. Yet the king sought to honor him because he was an honorable man. Ironically, God used the man who sought honor to honor a man who did not.

Do you ever covet honor? Have you found yourself miserable at the sight of others receiving praise or failing to recognize your gifts or accomplishments? Let it go. It was the pharisees who chased after such things and they were despised in the eyes of our Lord. Rather, live your life in such a way that God alone should be the one you aim to please. Perhaps one day, at the right time, you will be lifted up before your enemies and given the honor of princes in the eyes of the King.

Fasting from Facebook

I have recently taken leave of the social media platform called Facebook. I felt the Holy Spirit applying pressure on me weeks before Ash Wednesday, February 10th this year. When I took the time to pray and reflect on things that I seem to take the most pleasure in, it seemed to be the most obvious decision.

With my time of abstinence from this platform, I've managed to discover a great many wonderful things that I seem to have lost along the way. Each day appearing to bring a new wave of fresh air as I used the time to focus on other things. Some of the things I've managed to bring back into focus is a renewed commitment to spend time in prayer and fasting. This is not to say I have not participated in these spiritual disciplines, but since I have shifted my focus from social media to private prayer, it has had a profound impact on my approach toward ministry.

Another perk that has come to the surface as a result of this Lenten observation is a greater sense of time and appreciation for my family. When we go out to eat, I am not consumed with the endless thread of comments and posted articles in my news-feed. Rather, I am better able to give my wife and daughter the attention they deserve, having deeper conversation with them about life and faith.

Facebook has been a readily accessible pocket-sized companion that would often distract me from my focus on more important matters throughout the day. I've since gained a better handle on managing the affairs of office responsibility and given greater attention to my master's studies as a student of Asbury Theological Seminary. Although it may have some part in the fact that I no longer have notifications constantly going off on my phone of some new post or comment on the discussion groups I have been a part of, it also has much to do with the simple fact that I have no Facebook to check - even with the notifications disabled.

Perhaps one of the greatest things I noticed in this sacrifice is the peace I have gained knowing I am not bound to a device that seemed to have so much control over my life. My time in prayer and service has been liberated to spend with the Lord and with the people He has called me to serve instead of checking my Facebook every five minutes to see if I missed something. The irony is that I was missing so much more when I was bound like a slave to this tiny machine in my hands.

Richard Foster once said, "More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ" (Foster, Celebrations of Discipline, p.55). The time I've spent removed from social media has truly revealed it to me as something that was controlling me. I am truly grateful for the Spirit's leading me to consider suspending my use of it for the experience of something far more fulfilling.

I have been exposed to the deeper significance of something the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians when he said, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12). Although many might think this is a rather absurd thing to say, but Facebook had a great deal of control over my life. In all honesty, I felt that I had become a slave to it. Surely, there is plenty of reason one can argue for the good purposes of Facebook, but what I have gained by the exercise of suspending it from my life has brought me a great deal of joy and freedom. I do not want to be mastered by anything other than my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It is my prayer that others might be willing to consider taking a temporary leave of Facebook in order to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal something far greater than the cultural norms we often justify in our lives. You may just find a sense of peace you have been missing; a greater sense of connection to the Lord than ever before.