Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. – Esther 10:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 11, 2014): Esther 9 & 10

On a recent list of charitable celebrities, the number one spot was reserved for Sir Elton John. The Pop icon is a tireless worker in raising money for the fight against AIDS. He has even started his own foundation, The Elton John Aids Foundation, which has raised over 300 million dollars to fight the disease. But Elton does not just give to his own foundation, the number of Charities that the singer supports apparently numbers 48.

But the most important attribute that a celebrity can give a charity isn’t actually their money. The biggest thing a celebrity can give to a cause is their personal presence. While donating to a cause can help the cause along, supporting a cause and connecting that cause with the image of a celebrity can cause others to also give to the cause. The effect that someone famous has on us is incredible. And while Elton is willing to give part of his fortune to AIDS causes, he is also more than willing to give to them the most valuable thing that he possesses – himself.

And in return we celebrate him. There is nothing that affects us more than a star who is willing to give of themselves for the betterment of the world. To be honest, it is hard to cheer for someone that appears to only want the best the world has to offer so that they can hoard the best to be liberally spent on only themselves. But with celebrities like Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Ellen DeGeneres or Jessica Alba, we want them to succeed – because, as much as is possible, as they succeed they bring a portion of our world in need of our assistance with them.

The closing statement of the book of Esther is not about Esther. The Queen’s story may be the basis of the celebration of Purim, but at the close of the story we are told that it was Mordecai that was celebrated. And not only was he held in high esteem by the Jews who he worked to save, but his fame spread to the general population. And as a result of all that had happened, Mordecai was made the number two man in the empire – following the King, Xerxes.

But the story of Esther also highlights something else. Fame and power are often hard to handle, and if you work for the purpose of being powerful, you seldom – if ever – will get what you want. Haman wanted desperately to be recognized and considered to be the one in control of the empire. It was something that Haman never really achieved. Instead, the power seeker was executed. Mordecai was never in pursuit of any of those things. All he seemed to want was the welfare of his people, and he was willing to risk the things most valuable to him, his own life and the life of Esther, in order to achieve it. And he was successful in saving his people, but as an added bonus Mordecai also received everything that Haman had desired – fame, power and respect were never declared to be motivating factors for Mordecai – but he received them anyway.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 7