"Esther Plots. Haman Whines" - Esther 5-6 (July 26, 2020)
/Esther 5-6
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace opposite the entrance to the palace. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favor and he held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. The king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.’ Then Esther said, ‘If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king.’ Then the king said, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther desires.’ So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.’ Then Esther said, ‘This is my petition and request: If I have won the king’s favor, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and then I will do as the king has said.’
Haman went out that day happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and observed that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was infuriated with Mordecai; nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Then he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh, and Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the ministers of the king. Haman added, ‘Even Queen Esther let no one but myself come with the king to the banquet that she prepared. Tomorrow also I am invited by her, together with the king. Yet all this does me no good so long as I see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.’ Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits.’ This advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
That night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the book of records, the annals, and they were read to the king. It was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, ‘What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?’ The king’s servants who attended him said, ‘Nothing has been done for him.’ The king said, ‘Who is in the court?’ Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. So the king’s servants told him, ‘Haman is there, standing in the court.’ The king said, ‘Let him come in.’ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, ‘What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?’ Haman said to himself, ‘Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?’ So Haman said to the king, ‘For the man whom the king wishes to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden, with a royal crown on its head. Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials; let him robe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him conduct the man on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him: “Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.” ’ Then the king said to Haman, ‘Quickly, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to the Jew Mordecai who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.’ So Haman took the robes and the horse and robed Mordecai and led him riding through the open square of the city, proclaiming, ‘Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.’
Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, ‘If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him.’
While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
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When we left Esther last week, she was fasting for three days, along with all the Jews, in preparation for her action to save them. For a while, Mordecai sinks into the background as Esther takes charge and carefully choreographs her approach to, and conversation with, King Ahasuerus.
She dons her most beautiful outfit and prepares to approach the king. I wonder what Esther was thinking as she walked from her quarters to the king’s court. Perhaps she was wondering if this was really a good idea? Perhaps she was having second thoughts? Perhaps she was wondering whether the king would accept her presence or put her to death for coming unannounced (which would have been fully within his legal right to do so). I imagine she put all those concerns aside as she stepped across the threshold, making her presence known to the king.
Whatever she did, she made quite the impression and those of us reading this story let out a collective sigh of relief when the king appears amiable. True to his character of being absurd and over the top, Ahasuerus asks for whatever Esther wants, saying that he’ll give it to her even if she asks for up to half of his kingdom! At this statement, you and I might wonder if Ahasuerus hasn’t starting drinking a little bit early in the day.
But instead of cutting to the chase, Esther invites Ahasuerus to a banquet that she has prepared for him, and she invites Haman almost as an afterthought. Why does Esther want to cook a banquet for her husband? Well, perhaps there’s some truth to the old cliche, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Quite simply, I think Esther has the patience and the wisdom to understand that she shouldn’t rush this request, but should rather take her time to get her gullible husband right where she wants him to be.
And so, Ahasuerus and Haman attend Esther’s banquet. After what we can assume is a copious amount of wining and dining, Ahasuerus repeats his initial curiosity about what Esther wants, again offering up to half of his kingdom if she wants it.
We the readers collectively lean forward in our chair, expecting this to be the big moment when she outs herself as a Jew and entreats for the safety of her people. But just when we think she’s going to pop the question, she asks them to attend yet another banquet of her hosting.
Wait? Another banquet? What gives? Well here’s a few possible explanations:
First of all, banquets and parties are kind of a big motif in the Book of Esther. I mean, after all, the book does begin with a party that lasts for 187 days. So we had that banquet, plus the banquet that Queen Vashti held for the women, then we had the banquet to celebrate Esther’s coronation as queen, and then the two banquets in today’s portion of the story. In this light, Esther’s request for a second banquet is a fitting decision for a story where a lot of important things happen at such parties.
Secondly, from a literary point of view, it draws out the narrative and increases the suspense for those of us reading the story.
Thirdly and finally, Esther’s decision to draw out her request and have yet another banquet highlights her patience and wisdom - again, two qualities that stand in stark contrast to Ahasuerus and Haman’s impulsiveness and foolishness.
At any rate, Haman leaves in a merry mood, no doubt drunk with wine and his infatuation with his own ego. But unfortunately, Haman has to walk right by the king’s gate on his drunken way home and he passes, yet again, his arch nemesis Mordecai, who hasn’t changed his mind regarding his refusal to bow before him. After a moment of rather uncharacteristic restraint, Haman storms home to his wife and throws a pity party. As Carol Bechtel puts it: “[The balloon of Haman’s ego] swells and swells and finally pops with the application of one small pin.” Haman’s wife Zeresh comforts him as you would an infant throwing a tantrum and says, “There, there, my sweet husband. I know what would make you feel better. Have a pole as tall as a six-story building built and have that mean, mean, Mordecai impaled upon it. Sniffling and wiping the tears from his eyes, Haman says, “ok.”
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Ahasuerus heads to bed in anticipation of Esther’s second banquet. But he can’t sleep. As he tosses in his sleep he tries to count sheep, or golden goblets, or whatever he thinks will lull him to sleep, but nothing works. He needs something more monotonous and boring. Therefore, he orders a servant to bring him the official minutes from the court recordings and read it to him to coax him to sleep. This would be kind of like having someone read you the session minutes of Beaumont Presbyterian Church.
But then, Ahasuerus is reminded of the story of Mordecai literally saving his life (recall that little part of the story back in chapter 2?). He wonders aloud, “what did we ever do to thank that guy?” Flipping through the pages of minutes, the king’s servant says, “apparently nothing.”
And then, as fate would have it, Haman can’t sleep either and chooses that exact moment to come say hi to the king. Ahasuerus greets Haman with a question: “There’s someone I know that I need honor. What do you think I should do to honor him?” Of course, you and I know that the king is talking about Mordecai. But Haman, bless his heart, assumes that the king must be talking about him. Therefore, Haman comes up with this grand scheme to honor this man (himself) with a grand parade through the town so everyone can give him attention and praise and honor.
Ahasuerus says, “That’s a great idea! That’s exactly what we’ll do for Mordecai and I want you to be the one to lead him through the streets during the parade!” It doesn’t take a big imagination to envision Haman’s jaw hitting the floor as he realizes that the king wasn’t talking about him after all. It also doesn’t take a big imagination to envision all of the Jewish people reading this story thousands of years later rolling on the floor with laughter at Haman’s folly.
Thus, today’s story ends with the hilarious humiliation of Haman leading Mordecai through the streets as the crowds give honor and praise to the very man that Haman hates the most. As readers, we rejoice that the bad guy has be humbled to the point of ridicule but, as a matter of fact, things will get worse for Haman but that will have to wait for next week.
The only thing I want to add before we close this chapter of the Book of Esther is the presence of subversive humor. Humor is a powerful tool in combating oppressive systems. If you have any doubt of that, then remember the first chapter of the Book of Esther. What made the King and his advisors so worried about Vashti’s “no” was that it brought to light the absurdity of the King and people would start laughing at him. They were worried that other women would start to laugh at their husbands when they made ridiculous requests of them.
This is nothing new. Saturday night live has been doing it for decades to presidential administrations on both sides of the aisle. Mel Brooks has used humor to make fun of Nazi’s and racism in his movies such as The Producers and Blazing Saddles. Stetson Kennedy and the authors of the Superman radio show did it back in the 1940’s. Comedians and late night talk show hosts are doing it right now.
Humor is a powerful component of the Book of Esther because it gave the Jews in exile an opportunity to lampoon their oppressors and tell a story of their salvation. Those who are oppressed need stories where those who oppress them are called out for their injustice and laughed at for their absurdity.
But just because the Book of Esther causes us to laugh doesn’t make it a simple or “safe” book of the Bible. Those of us hearing this text would do well to ask ourselves about times in our lives when we’ve acted like Haman or Ahasuerus. As a privileged white man reading this story, this text forces me to ask myself of times when I’ve allowed my privilege to harm those around me who are marginalized. And that, certainly, is no laughing matter.
So, perhaps ultimately, the question for us is this: who are we in this story? Are we Esther, being called to do the right thing even though it’s the risky thing? Are we Mordecai, participating in civil disobedience to do “good trouble?” Are we Ahasuerus, where we’ve sometimes turned a blind eye to those around us who are plotting injustice and violence? Are we Haman, where we’ve been an active part of a system that oppresses persons of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ persons, and other marginalized communities?
Speaking for myself, I think I’ve played all these parts simultaneously.
What about you?
In the name of God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, may all of us God’s children, say: Amen.