For Such A Time As This, Sept. 7, 2014

For Such A Time As This

Esther 4:12-17, John 12:20-33

September 7, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Praise Hymn - For Such a Time as This  A few years ago, a praise hymn was written called “For Such a Time as This.” The chorus goes like this: “For such a time as this I was placed upon the earth to hear the voice of God and do His will whatever it is for such a time as this. For now and all the days He gives, I am here, I am here and I am His for such a time as this.” [Wayne Watson]

Esther  These lyrics were based upon the fascinating tale of intrigue, deceit, revenge and vindication found in the Book of Esther. There are four main characters to this tale: Ahasuerus, the King of Persia, Haman, the king’s Grand Vizier, a Jew named Esther and her cousin, Mordecai. The plot unfolds in this manner.

1. The King chose Esther to be his queen not knowing that she was Jewish.  
2. The King ordered all who met Haman, his Grand Vizier, to bow down before him.
3. Now the plot thickens. A man named Mordecai, who happened to be Queen Esther's cousin, refused to bow when Haman passed by.
4. Haman is so enraged that he convinces the King to issue an edict to kill all of the Jews in the kingdom and even erects gallows in the public square to hang Mordecai.
5. Mordecai asks Esther to go to the king and ask him to negate his order. This was a risky to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned.
   To convince her to take that risk, Mordecai reminds her that if she doesn’t act, she and her people will perish. Then he says to her, “Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” [Esther 4:14]
   So Esther went into the king and asked him to repeal the edict of death levied against the Jews. The king did so and the Jews were saved. Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. And the Jews have celebrated this act of deliverance with the Festival of Purim [porheem] ever since.
    
   Right Place at the Right Time?  In looking back on this episode, some people might say that Esther was simply in the right place at the right time and that it was a coincident. However, from the perspective of the Jews, the definition of coincidence was when God chooses to remain anonymous. They rightly believed that God saved the Israelites by placing Esther in the royal palace for just such a time such as this.
   Chronos Esther and each of us here this morning experience two distinct concepts of time - chronos and kairos. Chronos is a Greek word which means the passing of time as we know it and from which we get our word “chronology.” It is time that is measured by clocks and the calendar. It has a before and after. Chronos is what we inscribe on tombstones. It is the future passing through the present and so becoming the past. It helps us keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, and appointments. We call Chronos “Father Time.”
   Kairos  Kairos, on the other hand, is that distinct and unique moment when God interjects himself in the affairs of humans. It is when time and destiny meet. It is the opportune time and place to say or do the right thing as it was with Esther. Often Kairos is a very brief window of opportunity in which God asks us to carry out a specific task. If we don’t use that moment as God intends, the opportunity is lost forever.
   Ecclesiastes reflects the essence of kairos - “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” [Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2, 4]
   For This Purpose  In our New Testament scripture from John, the concept of kairos is exemplified by Jesus. "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." This means that moment in history has arrived when he will be arrested, tried, convicted, flogged, crucified and die. He wishes that it could be otherwise. At the same time, he knows that he is a part of God's great plan of salvation. And as his disciples gather around him, Jesus says, "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour."
   For this purpose. For such a time as this. Kairos moments of life - opportunities to glorify God in magnificent ways.
   Without Warning   I’m sure that each of you has experienced kairos moments in your lifetime. Moments when you felt an urge to call or visit someone or do a good deed. And when you did, you found out that your call or visit or deed was exactly what that person needed at that particular moment.
   Deeda Mae  A week before Deeda Mae died, I felt God urging me to serve her communion. And so I did. Deeda Mae was alert and cheerful as she took the sacraments. The next day, her health worsened and she wouldn’t have been able to partake. I believe that for such a time as this I was called to serve God here at Grace.
   At Any Time  Such moments come into our lives at any time. No matter where we are or what we’re doing God might tap us on the shoulder, or whisper in our ear, or come to us in a dream, or simply prompt our heart to do something for him. “See that person over there?” God might say. “She needs you! I gave you exactly the right gifts and talents to help her for such a time as this.” And so you put aside the chronos plans you had for that moment and respond to the need. Afterwards, you discover that you were the only person at that moment in time that could help comfort, or guide, or strengthen, or even save someone else’s life.
   On God’s Behalf  But what we must also remember is that what we do in a kairos moment is always carried out on God’s behalf. After all, it was God who placed us in that particular place and time, identified a need he wanted met, and said to us, “For such a time as this, be my voice of encouragement. Be my arms of comfort. Be my wisdom of guidance.” When we allow God to use us in such ways, we become co-workers with God.
   Farmington Teenager  Just a few years ago, a group of teen agers from the Farmington Home came to the church I was serving to join us in our annual spring picnic. One girl, about 14 years of age, came up to me in the parking lot and said, “How do I become a Christian?” I replied, “Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and do your best to follow him in everything you do.” She replied, “Can I accept Jesus right here in the parking lot?” I replied that indeed she could.
   So we joined hands as she said, “I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” I then had a prayer with her. For such a time as this did God place me on that parking lot that day.
   Every Hurt?  Does this mean that God intends for us to respond to every hurt, every distress, and every need that we see around us? Not at all. All we can do, and all God expects us to do, is respond one need at a time.
   Starfish The story is told of a man who developed the habit at low-tide of walking along the beach and throwing starfish back into the ocean. A friend said to him, “There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?" The man smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, threw it back into the water, and said, "Made a difference to that one!"
   That’s how the Kingdom functions. One starfish at a time. One person reaching out to another for such a time as this. And the wonderful thing about it is that we’re not on that sea shore alone. We are a part of the Church universal, a great multitude of men and women all over the world, helping God meet the needs of his creation one person at a time.
   Listen for the Spirit This morning I suggest that we try to be constantly aware of God’s holy presence in every aspect of our lives - in our home, work, school, and leisure. If we are, then, even though our calendar is full of errands to run and appointments to keep, we will be able to hear the Spirit whisper, “I need you for such a time as this.”
   Final Thoughts  It has been said that “Life is what happens to us when we’re busy making other plans.” This morning I suggest that “God is what happens to us when we’re busy making other plans.” Remember, “For such a time as this, you were placed upon this earth to hear the voice of God and do His will whatever it is. For such a time as this, for now and all the days He gives, you are here, and you are His for such a time as this.” Amen.
    

In the Book of Esther, Mordecai wants Queen Esther to ask the king to negate the order to kill all the Jews. Esther is afraid since going to the king without invitation could result in death. We pick up the story at this point:

Esther 4:12-16 NRSV

When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.’ Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.’

 

 

 

 

 

John 12:20-33 NRSV

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.  ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.