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Our lessons for this Sunday offer us crisis within Esther’s story of royal intrigue plus a rare slice of ancient pastoral care from the book of James, and a strange account about a "13th disciple" from the gospel of Mark. While I suppose James’ pastoral care advice and the strange exorcist story could be packaged together, the story of Esther needs its own hearing due to the intrigue and tension that the plot develops. Great passages for the 16th Sunday in Pentecost. Enjoy!

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 - High Tea for Haman

The book of Esther is a "just so" narrative that explains how the Feast of Purim came to be celebrated by the Jews. In this lesson we enter Act III: Esther, aaman, and the King at lunch. (Act I-How Mordecai and Esther came to a place of influence; Act II-the promotion of Haman and his strategy to destroy the Jews of the kingdom; Act IV-the final outcome of Haman and the unalterable Edict.) In the lesson, Queen Esther expresses her request to be spared as well as her people from destruction; when pushed for clarification, Esther implicates Haman as the sole conspirator of her people. The king fumes and fusses and finally foils the foolish folly of Haman. Thus, the Jews defend themselves and sorrow is turned into gladness and from mourning into a holiday: Purim.

James 5:13-20-Healing and Confession

Are any of you suffering? Are you cheerful? Any sick? Thus follows specific instructions for those who are sick including the calling of the elders, anointing with oil, and the prayer of faith. The expected response is clear: "The Lord will raise them up . . ." The lesson follows tributary-like from the last thought now to the confession of sins and its relationship to being healed and then on to the efficacy of prayer. As an example of the power of prayer, the writer recalls Elijah, "a human being like us," who discovered the effectiveness of prayer in one episode of his life. The lesson closes with an admonition to be restorers and reconcilers to those who wander from the faith community. Such restorers, the writer promises, "will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."

Mark 9:38-50-The Unknown Exorcist and Solutions for Offensive Behavior

Two parts make up this Sunday’s gospel lesson: the unknown exorcist (9:38-41) and a discussion of stumbling blocks and radical remedies (9:42-48); the final two verses includes a strange saying that may refer to future judgment or to one’s effectiveness in the kingdom. In the case of the exorcist, the disciples inform Jesus that someone not from their group has been "casting out demons (9:38)." Not to worry though, for the disciples have ended such unauthorized activity. Rather than a praise Jesus speaks admonishment: "Don’t forbid him." This forms a natural transition into a warning about causing others to stumble, reiterated by even more hyperbole: "if your (fill in the blank) causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better to enter life maimed than _______ and going to hell." The metaphor of salt closes the episode: "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltness how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another" (9:50).