Esther 8:1-8, 15-17

Esther Saves the Jews

8:1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. So Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Then Esther spoke again to the king; she fell at his feet, weeping and pleading with him to avert the evil design of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 and Esther rose and stood before the king. She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have won his favor, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I have his approval, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he plotted to lay hands on the Jews. 8 You may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” (Esther 8:1-8, NRSV)

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king, wearing royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and purple, while the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict came, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a festival and a holiday. Furthermore, many of the peoples of the country professed to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them. (Esther 8:15-17, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from September 29, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 21, Year Two):

In the Daily Office Lectionary of the Episcopal tradition, this is the concluding reading from Esther, which recounts the personal triumphs of Esther and Mordecai and the rescinding of the edict against the Jews (Esth. 8:1). This tradition will turn to the book of Hosea for Saturday’s reading, but the Presbyterian and Lutheran traditions will stay with Esther for the Jews’ triumph in battle over their enemies and the origins of the Feast of Purim (chap. 9). They will turn to Hosea on Sunday, one day behind the Episcopal tradition.

The hanging of Haman (7:10) is the decisive turn of events. The king gives Esther the house of Haman and promotes Mordecai (8:1) by giving him Haman’s signet ring; Esther, in turn, “set Mordecai over the house of Haman” (v. 2). But it remains to undo the damage caused by Haman, “the plot that he had devised against the Jews” (v. 3). The procedure with the earlier petition is repeated. Esther falls at the king’s feet, “weeping and pleading with him to avert the evil design of Haman” (v. 3, cf. her standing in the inner court, 5:1). The king extends the golden scepter (8:4, cf. 5:2). And Esther begins as before, “If it please the king” (8:5, cf. 5:4). This time her request is for a letter “to revoke the letters devised by Haman . . . giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king” (8:5). This time, she does not hide her identity. “For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” (v. 6). In reply the king reminds Esther and Mordecai that Haman has been hanged and his house given to Esther (v. 7). He give permission to “write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked “ (v. 8).

In the verses that are passed over we are given details about the writing of these letters as the king’s secretaries were summoned, and the letters were written “according to all that Mordecai commanded,” to the relevant parties, Jews, satraps, governors and officials in “one hundred twenty-seven provinces” (v. 9), “letters in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed . . . with the king’s ring” (v. 10). These letters “allowed the Jews . . . to assemble and defend their lives” against any and all attackers (v. 11) . This was to be “on a single day . . . the thirteenth day of the twelfth month . . . Adar” (v. 12). So the writ and the decree were published throughout the land, issued from the citadel of Susa (vv. 13-14).

So “Mordecai went out from the presence of the king, wearing royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and purple” (v. 15a), which brought rejoicing and celebration to the city of Susa, as “the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced” (v. 15b). The Jewish people, though a challenge remained, had reason for rejoicing, because for them, “there was light and gladness, joy and honor” (v. 16). “In every province and in every city,” says the author, “wherever the king’s command and his edict came, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a festival and a holiday” (v. 17a). Many people, perhaps including those who formerly opposed the Jews, now wanted to identify with them. “Furthermore,” we are told, “many of the peoples of the country professed to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them” (v. 17b).

Judith 13:1-20

Judith Beheads Holofernes

13:1 When evening came, his slaves quickly withdrew. Bagoas closed the tent from outside and shut out the attendants from his master’s presence. They went to bed, for they all were weary because the banquet had lasted so long. 2 But Judith was left alone in the tent, with Holofernes stretched out on his bed, for he was dead drunk.

3 Now Judith had told her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and to wait for her to come out, as she did on the other days; for she said she would be going out for her prayers. She had said the same thing to Bagoas. 4 So everyone went out, and no one, either small or great, was left in the bedchamber. Then Judith, standing beside his bed, said in her heart, “O Lord God of all might, look in this hour on the work of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem. 5 Now indeed is the time to help your heritage and to carry out my design to destroy the enemies who have risen up against us.”

6 She went up to the bedpost near Holofernes’ head, and took down his sword that hung there. 7 She came close to his bed, took hold of the hair of his head, and said, “Give me strength today, O Lord God of Israel!” 8 Then she struck his neck twice with all her might, and cut off his head. 9 Next she rolled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts. Soon afterward she went out and gave Holofernes’ head to her maid, 10 who placed it in her food bag.

Judith Returns to Bethulia

Then the two of them went out together, as they were accustomed to do for prayer. They passed through the camp, circled around the valley, and went up the mountain to Bethulia, and came to its gates. 11 From a distance Judith called out to the sentries at the gates, “Open, open the gate! God, our God, is with us, still showing his power in Israel and his strength against our enemies, as he has done today!”

12 When the people of her town heard her voice, they hurried down to the town gate and summoned the elders of the town. 13 They all ran together, both small and great, for it seemed unbelievable that she had returned. They opened the gate and welcomed them. Then they lit a fire to give light, and gathered around them. 14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, “Praise God, O praise him! Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!”

15 Then she pulled the head out of the bag and showed it to them, and said, “See here, the head of Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, and here is the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunken stupor. The Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman. 16 As the Lord lives, who has protected me in the way I went, I swear that it was my face that seduced him to his destruction, and that he committed no sin with me, to defile and shame me.”

17 All the people were greatly astonished. They bowed down and worshiped God, and said with one accord, “Blessed are you our God, who have this day humiliated the enemies of your people.”

18 Then Uzziah said to her, “O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all other women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who has guided you to cut off the head of the leader of our enemies. 19 Your praise will never depart from the hearts of those who remember the power of God. 20 May God grant this to be a perpetual honor to you, and may he reward you with blessings, because you risked your own life when our nation was brought low, and you averted our ruin, walking in the straight path before our God.” And all the people said, “Amen. Amen.” (Judith 13:1-20, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from September 29, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 21, Year Two):

When evening comes and the others all leave the scene of the banquet, weary because it “had lasted so long,” Bagoas closes the tent (Judith 13:1), leaving Judith “alone in the tent with Holofernes stretched out on his bed, for he was dead drunk” (v. 2). She has left people expecting her to go out for prayers, as before. Her maid was to “stand outside the bedchamber” (v. 3). So, left alone, Judith prays silently, “O Lord God of all might, look in this hour on the work of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem” (v. 4). She adds a request for the Lord’s “help for your heritage and to carry out my design to destroy the enemies who have risen up against us” (v. 5). Then she takes Holofernes’ own sword from the bedpost (v. 6), utters another prayer as she grasps “the hair of his head (v. 7), strikes “his neck twice”; and cuts “off his head” (v. 8). Linda Day points to the irony, “that Holofernes is killed, with his own sword, by the very person he expected to violate”; (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Judith 13:4-7). She rolls the body off the bed and takes down the canopy, which she takes with her, along with Holofernes’ head in the food bag which the maid has ready (vv. 9-10).

Their leaving the camp arouses no suspicion, for they have set a pattern. They leave the camp and arrive at the gates of Bethulia (v. 10) proclaiming victory: “Open, open the gate! God, our God, is with us, still showing his power in Israel and his strength against our enemies, as he has done today!” (v. 11). She is greeted by the elders and others with astonishment (vv. 12-13) and rejoicing. After expressions of praise for God’s deliverance (v. 14) she brings out the “spoils,” the head of Holofernes, the canopy “beneath which he lay in a drunken stupor,” and the news that “the Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman” (v. 15). If an explanation were needed, she makes it clear that she was not defiled. “As the Lord lives, who has protected me in the way I went, I swear that it was my face that seduced him to his destruction, and that he committed no sin with me, to defile and shame me” (v. 16). The people worship God and credit him with the victory (v. 17), but Uzziah blesses Judith: “O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all other women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who has guided you to cut off the head of the leader of our enemies” (v. 18). He adds that her praise will be perpetual (v. 19), and calls God’s blessings upon her, “because you risked your own life when our nation was brought low, and you averted our ruin, walking in the straight path before our God,” to which, “all the people said, ‘Amen. Amen’” (v. 20).

Acts 19:21-41

The Riot in Ephesus

21 Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, “After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.” 22 So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia.

23 About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. 24 A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. 25 These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, “Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. 26 You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.”

28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travel companions. 30 Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; 31 even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 But when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven? 36 Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 You have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another. 39 If there is anything further you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. (Acts 19:21-41, NRSV)

On August 10, 2007 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 3, Year One), comments were combined with editing and supplement from September 29, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 21, Year Two) and a few notes from August 5, 2005 (Friday of the week of the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year One). The combined comments are repeated here:

Yesterday’s reading reported considerable success for Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, but in today’s reading, while still in Ephesus, he faces serious opposition. At the beginning of the reading we are presented with a brief review of Paul’s plans as he approaches the end of his Third Missionary Journey. “Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.’ So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia” (Acts 19:21-22). The intended journey to Jerusalem and plans to go to Spain are reported by Paul himself in Romans (15:22-29).

But the very success of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus has provoked opposition. “About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way” (Acts 19:23). As noted earlier, “the Way” means the Christian movement. The work of Christians in Ephesus, including that of Paul, perceived as their leader, threatened the livelihoods of Demetrius and others “who made silver shrines of Artemis” which “brought no little business to the artisans” (v. 24). Demetrius gathers them together and stirs them up against Paul. “Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business,” he says (v. 25), and continues to describe the danger to them as he perceives it, of Paul’s preaching against idolatry. “You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods” (v. 26). His emotional speech continues with the threat not merely to their own trade, but to the religion and reputation of the whole province of Asia. “And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her” (v. 27).

The result of the speech was a riot. The crowd of silversmiths shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (v. 28). In the confusion, Paul’s travel companions from Macedonia, Gaius and Aristarchus, were dragged into the theater as “people rushed together” there. Luke reports that Paul wanted “to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him” (v. 30), and this advice was supported by “even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him” (v. 31). As the commotion increased, apparently some Jews took sides with the Christians against idolatry. “Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people” (v. 33). But the pagans recognized him as a Jew, and advocate of one God opposed to idolatry, and “for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’” (v. 34). In the end, it was the town clerk who was able to subdue the crowd. There is no real threat to the worship of Artemis and her temple, he says. “Who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven?” (v. 35). The crowd should quiet itself, because they are accomplishing nothing for Artemis (v. 36), and risking the charge of rioting (v. 40). The men they have charged “are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess” (v. 37), but there are courts and proconsuls (v. 38), or the regular assembly (v. 39) if they wish to pursue these issues. So the town clerk dismisses the assembly (v. 41). Luke has managed in his report of this episode to emphasize the theme that Christians are not a threat to the Roman order with “witnesses” who are outsiders. (We are reminded that Gallio refused to hear charges against Paul at Corinth, Acts. 18:12:17.) “Officials of the province” of Asia are friendly to Paul (v. 31); Jews, including Alexander, the spokesman, side with the Christians (v. 32); and the town clerk, who appeals to the common sense of the crowd, manages to defuse the crowd’s anger and stop the riot (vv. 35-41).

Luke doesn’t mention an imprisonment of Paul at Ephesus, but some postulate such imprisonment in their attempts to fill out the chronology of Paul’s missionary work. His farewell speech to the Ephesian elders (20:18-35) at Miletus–not at Ephesus–may be our clue that Luke knows more about Paul’s ultimate fate than he tells us in Acts.

Luke 4:31-37

The Man with an Unclean Spirit (Mk 1.21-28)

31 He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. 32 They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. 36 They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, “What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” 37 And a report about him began to reach every place in the region. (Luke 4:31-37, NRSV)

On April 24, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments were repeated with some editing from April 12, 2005, (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Easter, Year One); the comments are repeated again here:

After reporting Jesus’ Nazareth Sermon and his escape from his enemies there, Luke returns to the thread of Mark’s narrative. His version of the preaching in the synagogue at Capernaum and the exorcism of the unclean demon is quite similar to Mark’s, as the following table shows:

Both Mark and Luke report that Jesus goes to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath to the synagogue where people “were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority” (Lk. 4:32, cf. v. 31; cf. also Mk. 1:21-22). “In the synagogue,” says Luke, “there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon” (Lk. 4:33; cf. “unclean spirit,” Mk. 1:23). To the unclean spirit’s question, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” (Mk. 1:24a), Luke has the demon preface the question with the demand, “Let us alone!” (Lk. 4:34a). These three English words translate a two letter Greek word  [Ea (Ea [EH-ah, two syllables]) defined as “an exclamatory particle expressing surprise or displeasure, ah!, ha! Mk. 1:24 v.l.; Lk 4:34 (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. e[a, ea). The Lexicon adds that “some connection with e[a (ea), imperative of ejavw (eaō), let alone! seems likely in 1 Clement [39:5], and possibly in Mk. [1:24, variant reading in x², i.e. the ‘second corrector of x, A C L and other mss.] and Lk. (cp. Vulg. and NRSV mng., Lk. 4:34)” (ibid.). But the continuation of the demon’s outcry is identical in both Gospels, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God” (Mk. 1:24b; Lk. 4:34b). Jesus’ rebuke of the demon is the same in both versions. “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mk. 1:25; Lk. 4:35a). The description of what happens next varies: “And the unclean spirit, convulsing him (sparavxan aujtovn, sparaxan auton) and crying with a loud voice, came out of him” (Mk. 1:26). “When the demon had thrown him down ( rJi:yan aujtovn, hripsan auton) before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm (mhde;n blavyan aujtovn, mēden blapsan)” (Lk. 4:35b). The different language describes similar chaotic scenes. Luke notes that the man was not harmed. The crowd’s amazement and their questions of wonder are similar (Mk. 1:27; Lk. 4:36), and both Gospels note Jesus’ spreading fame (Mk. 1:28; Lk. 4:37). The demon was no match for Jesus.

Matthew works the Sermon on the Mount in at this point, which is concluded by Matthew 7:28-29 (see above), and in the process, apparently, he passes over this scene in the synagogue at Capernaum. This can be seen in the following table, which is similar to yesterday’s table, but includes a column for Matthew.

A little over a century ago, some biblical scholars preferred Mark’s Gospel to those of Matthew and Luke. Some of these had given “rational” explanations to supernatural aspects of the Gospel story, the Virgin Birth, for example. They thought, for a while, it was better to start with Mark because Mark had less of all that. People of the “modern world” could be brought to accept Mark’s version of the story, at least as a first beginning. But, for various reasons, that way of thinking about the Gospels faded in the early twentieth century. When you think of it, it seems ironic. Mark slaps us in the face, as it were, with two blows. The very title (Mk. 1:1) is about “Jesus Christ (CristovV, Christos), the Son of God,” in words used by Caiaphas at the trial: “Are you the Messiah (CristovV, Christos), the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mk. 14:61). The second blow to that modern revisionist way of thinking come in Mark’s first account of Jesus’ preaching. Jesus is recognized–but by the unclean spirit (Mk. 1:24)! The plot against Jesus by the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mk. 3:6), quite early in the story, it seems, is actually rather late. Satan has been at work from the outset, entering Herod’s heart and inducing the Slaughter of the Infants of Bethlehem (Mt. 2:16-18), confronting Jesus in the wilderness of temptation (Mt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13), and now in the synagogue at Capernaum. Luke’s introduction of Jesus sermon at this point is significant, I believe, for its emphasis upon Jesus’ ministry as enabled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, “full of the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 4:1, a phrase that is lacking in Mark 1:12 and Matthew 4:1), “was led (h[geto, ēgeto) by the Spirit in the wilderness” where he was to be tempted (Lk. 4:1). Mark says, “the Spirit immediately drove ( ejkbavllei, ekballei) him out into the wilderness” (Mk. 1:12), language which fits Mark’s quickened pace. Luke, however, moves more slowly, and we might say, more deliberately. (He inserts the genealogy between the baptism of Jesus and his temptation.) Jesus returned to Galilee “filled with the power of the Spirit,” a point noted only by Luke (Lk. 4:14; cf. Mk. 1:14; Mt. 4:12). The text for the Nazareth Sermon is from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, / because he has anointed me / to bring good news to the poor . . .” (Lk. 4:18-19, citing Isa. 61:1-2, 58:6). So when Jesus encountered the unclean spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum, he was ready, fully armed for spiritual battle.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net