Luther argued that neither belonged to Scripture. Maimonides thought Esther was second in importance only to the Torah; what he thought about James I don’t know. I do know that the more I reflect on Esther the closer I come to Maimonides, no doubt for different reasons, and find greater similarity between Esther and James. Especially at Christmas.
The similarity begins with James’ address. He writes “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (1:1); Esther’s Jews are scattered among the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ empire. Joy and testing are James’ first concern; Esther ends with joy and celebration. Taken together, Esther and James urge God’s people of every age to sing, “O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that dwells in lonely exile here.” Especially at Christmas.
Scattered like the exiles
Like Esther’s Jews, Christians live scattered among the nations. There’s nothing wrong with that. In Esther the Jews are not condemned for causing their own exile; there is no desire to return to Jerusalem, not a hint about God’s mighty acts of salvation, not a line about divine instructions and decrees. The Jews, including Mordecai and Esther, are simply there, citizens of Xerxes’ empire. It’s about them and what they do when their existence is threatened.
That is James’ problem, too. No glorying in the cross like Paul, no reveling in God’s mighty acts of rescue or the wonder of his grace. James only pushes his readers to exercise the faith once for all received, to embody the cross, to live out grace. We Christians are simply there, scattered among the nations, in China, Darfur, and Myanmar. James is about us Christians and what we do when we are tested, what our tongues achieve with our speech, how we keep ourselves from being polluted by the world (1:27).
Esther and James are about who we are and what we do, scattered among the nations. Especially at Christmas.
Keeping our identity in exile
In sickness or in health, James writes, remember who you are. Count it joy when something or someone tests your faith (1:2-3), that way you’ll grow up, stop whining, and learn patience (5:10). Want to be happy? Forget about prosperity, sing songs of praise (5:13). Remember what it’s all about: the truth about sin and turning from the way of death (5:19-20). Scattered among the nations, says James, is not bad; its what you let happen to yourselves there if you don’t keep the faith.
Haman, enemy of the Jews, was the way of death Mordecai and Esther turned from. With all the power of the empire Haman sought to rid the earth of the likes of Mordecai and Esther, people who wouldn’t bow to the ways of the world. At the gate and in the harem they used their tongues to steer Xerxes’ ship of state for the salvation of many. Their testing led to joy and celebration (9:22), to the annual memory of rescue from the enemy far from Jerusalem.
In exile “here”
Why do these things happen to the Jews and Christians? Opposition to God’s people in Esther, the early church, under the Inquisition, and in Darfur happens for one reason: we are in exile “here,” scattered among the nations, in this world. The world will not be kind to God’s elect; there you will only have trouble, Jesus said. In Esther Xerxes’ empire was not home for the Jews, but neither was earthly Jerusalem. Not a hint of “next year in Jerusalem!” Only this: remember what can happen to us in the world.
We who find ourselves scattered throughout the 127 provinces of the world, still await our true home. We are waiting for Immanuel. Even as Christ came to dwell among us after the first exile (Matt. 1:17, 23; John 1:14), so he will come again that we might dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:24). In the meantime, let our faith define us, not the world, so that we may be found without defilement at his appearing (21:27).
Read Esther at Christmas, until the Son of God appear. Be joyful and celebrate, for we have received relief from our enemy (Esther 9:22; Col. 2:15).
