Our Old Testament lessons this morning show us two leaders who were terrified. Esther, Queen of the Babylonians, wife of King Ahasuerus, had just thrown a second feast for the king and his right- hand man, Haman. She had invited the two men to a feast the night before, but could not find the courage to ask the king to spare her people. It’s a long story. Esther was a Jew who was living in exile in Babylon.
Her Uncle Mordecai was a prominent official in the palace. Haman, however, was a more powerful official in the palace. Haman insisted that people bowed before him, as before the king. Mordecai would not do that; as a pious Jew, bowing before anything other than God almighty would be idolatrous. Mordecai’s defiance earned Haman’s wrath. Haman convinced the king to send a message throughout the empire that all the Jews should be killed on a certain day. (The specific date was determined by throwing dice. The name of the Jewish festival that honors Esther’s bravery is called “Purim,” which is Hebrew for “dice.”)
Esther had replaced Vashti as queen. King Ahasuerus, during one of his lavish parties wanted to show all the guests how beautiful Vashti was by having her appear before the guests wearing only her crown; Vashti refused to let that happen. Such defiance, the king was informed, could spread throughout the kingdom. His advisors suggested the king remove Vashti from the throne and find another queen. Something like a beauty contest was conducted and Esther won!
When Mordecai told Esther about Haman’s plan of genocide, Esther did not know what to do. If she approached the king without being summoned, she could be killed. Esther was afraid. Mordecai suggested that perhaps Esther had become queen for such a time as this. Perhaps her beauty and status would win her the king’s ear and she could get him to call for the slaughter of her people to end, as Esther did not want the Jews to be killed.
Esther thought about it and invited Haman and King Ahasuerus for the first feast. She did not make her request at the first banquet. Instead, she made another request… that the two men come to a second banquet, the one covered in today’s reading, when Esther found her voice and revealed that it was Haman who planned the annihilation of her people. The king was enraged. One of the men in attendance to the king pointed out that there was already a gallows that had been built. Haman had built it for Mordecai’s execution. How convenient. Haman was hung from the gallows he had built for the defiant Mordecai. The plan was called off. Esther’s courage, and Mordecai’s pleading, saved the Jewish people.
This morning’s psalm could have been written as a celebratory anthem to be sung at the end of the book of Esther. The Lord has come to our rescue! It’s good to pair this psalm with the Esther story. Esther is one of only two books in the whole Bible that do not mention God. (The other is Song of Songs.) Still, the faithful can sense the Lord’s working through ordinary, flawed, human people to achieve great things. Actually, if God wanted to work with people, the best God can get is flawed, human, broken people. It’s been said that Jesus was a friend of sinners, but what choice did he have, really?
In the lesson from Numbers we find another leader who knew it could be lonely at the top. The Hebrews were whining to Moses. They were tired of manna. They recalled all the delicious food they enjoyed in Egypt. Through the eyes of nostalgia, slavery looked pretty good. At least they got three squares a day, and there was a little variety in the menu. Moses was sick and tired of leading the people. It was too big a job! Moses didn’t ask for this gig! He was not the Hebrews’ mother and father. If God really wanted to do something nice for Moses, he’d simply kill him right then and there.
This latest tirade got the Lord’s attention. The Lord created something like a session for Moses. Seventy trusted leaders received some of the Spirit that Moses had. And there were those two new leaders, El-dad and Me-dad, who did not get the memo. They did not go the tent to get the Spirit; they stayed in the camp. What should Moses do about that? I imagine a weary Moses muttering, “What? They stayed here and got it? Fine. Good for them, now let me get some rest.”
In the gospel lesson a similar thing happened. John, a member of Jesus’ inner circle’ was upset because he had seen someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Apparently, this individual had not paid the franchise fee. Jesus was undisturbed. He had bigger things to worry about than people driving out demons in his name. (Imagine what Moses would say! Find me another ten like that one and I can retire early!)
The last line of today’s gospel reading was a little puzzling. Jesus talked about how good salt was. It’s a preservative; it can be used as money; it seasons food, (There’s a Danish proverb that one needs only two things to make good food: salt and an appetite.) but what good is salt if it loses its saltiness? Jesus concluded with this enigmatic phrase, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:50 (NRSV).
What could Jesus have meant by this? We’ve heard people described as “the salt of the earth,” but what does that mean? When someone is “worth their salt” that means they’re worth what they are paid. The word “salary” is rooted in “salt.” What does it mean to have salt in oneself? Salt is valuable. It tastes good. It preserves food. We know now that sodium and chlorine are essential for the brain to function properly. But to have salt in yourself?
Maybe this is the notion that ties the readings together. Being a leader takes courage, vision, and energy. It’s hard work. It’s demanding work. But even in the midst of serious, existential threats, none of these leaders were really alone. Esther had Mordecai. Moses had the Lord, then a sizable board of directors. Jesus had his disciples — and it appears, some freelancers. None of these leaders was ever truly alone. The burden on leadership is heavy and taxing, but much easier to bear when one is not leading in isolation.
Yes, it’s lonely at the top, but it doesn’t have to be! Have salt in yourself, and in those around you. Good leadership is rooted in deep integrity — the salt in oneself Jesus spoke of, but good leaders must also have good “followership.” If it’s lonely at the top, realize that it doesn’t have to be.
When geese migrate, the hardest — working goose is the one at the point of the V. That goose (both geese and ganders take this position) encounters the most resistance and has to work the hardest. The point position is rotated frequently. But the ones who are not up front have work to do too. They are back there, enjoying an easier flight and honking encouragement up to the front. If you think it’s lonely at the top, then rotate back and let another leader take the point. And be sure to honk encouragement all the time.
Amen.