was a Jew . Mordechai recognized that he needed to stand against Haman ’ s power before it grew to the point that it could not be stopped . That is why he refused even to obey the first , seemingly innocuous , order to bow .
As often happens when the first person stands up to power , it gets worse before it gets better . We see this in the book of Exodus , when Moses first tells Pharaoh to let the Israelites go , and Pharaoh responds by making their workload heavier . Haman responds furiously and sets in motion the events intended to lead to genocide .
Mordechai lets Esther know what is happening and convinces her to use her power as queen to intervene . She is afraid , and asks that the people fast to support her , which they do . In brief , Esther exposes Haman and saves the Jews .
There are three kinds of heroes in this story . Mordechai is the hero who can read the situation , know what is coming , and take the first actions of the resistance , though others don ’ t yet understand what is coming . Esther is the hero who steps up when called upon , walking into danger to use whatever power she has to save others . The Jews who fast in her support are the heroes who do what they can , offering support with their actions or perhaps in our day with their money , their letterwriting , and their phone calls to politicians .
May we have the strength to answer the call to be heroes when it is necessary .
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