The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.
- Esther 9:5

Haman’s not the only bad guy in the Esther story. Even after his maneuvering gets him killed, those who egged him on looked to take advantage of the day that had been set aside to destroy the Jews.

God’s people will have enemies in this world. The pervasiveness of this opposition always threatens to surprise us or, failing to do that, push us into the unloving ditch of paranoia.

What does a mature response to evil and opposition look like? We know what it isn’t. It isn’t overreaction, pulling out the nuclear option and raging indiscriminately against anyone and everyone. It isn’t folding and collapsing under pressure. It isn’t retreating, hunkering down or hiding.

What does a mature response to evil and opposition look like? It matches pitch. It’s measured and appropriate. In the Esther story, we’ll see the measuredness of the Jewish response to their enemies when they refuse to take plunder from their fights (more on this tomorrow). A mature response recognizes that not everyone is an enemy, but that enemies are real.

What might it mean that there are enemies to God’s people today? What do you think our mature response needs to look like?