The late Luis Palau was our dear friend for nearly 40 years. Yes, we’ll soon get to the exciting story of ancient Persia’s Jewish prime minister, Mordecai, but most people don’t know one of our favorite Luis Palau stories.
If Luis was anything, he was humble before the Lord. That meant he could proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ with anyone everywhere. That included presidents, prime ministers, and members of royalty. Like Mordecai, Luis Palau’s life showed...
At pivotal points in history, ordinary people rise to positions of greatness and then use that position to serve the greater good of others.
The Meeting
Years ago, Luis Palau had an evangelistic Mission to London. When he arrived in London, they gave him a welcoming party at a fancy little place downtown.
The person in charge was one of the princesses of the royal family. Not as well known in America, but very photogenic, very wealthy, a very lovely lady in every way.
The princess sat beside Luis Palau, who never forgot he had been a poor Argentinian orphan. After all the niceties, the princess remarked, “I’ve always wanted to talk to an evangelist like you. I’ve always wanted to know one thing. Do you have the assurance of eternal life? And if you do, how did you come about it? And if one wanted to have this assurance, what would one have to do? Could you help me?”
Luis nodded his head and said, “Your royal highness, I think I can help.” Then the princess had a second question about reading the Bible and praying with the children.
Sharing the Gospel
Luis gave her the simple gospel in Bible verses, including “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son [of God] has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
The princess replied, “But how do I get the Son of God if I want life?”
He said, “Your royal highness, the Bible says to all those who receive it, who believe in His name, He gives the power to become children of God” (John 1:12).
She said, “How do you receive Him?”
“Your royal highness, near the end of the Bible, Jesus says, ‘I stand at your door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in to you and eat with you and you with me’” (Revelation 3:20).
Salvation’s Invitation
The princess said, “How do you open the door?”
Luis said, “It’s as if I go to your house tonight and I knock on the door. You look out the window. You have to make a decision. You say to your husband, ‘Oh dear, it’s Palau. What are we going to do? He talks too much. Shall we let him go or shall we let him in?’”
Then Luis said, “That’s what Jesus Christ is doing. He’s knocking at the door of your heart. Open your heart. Let Him come in.”
After a quick pause, he added, “The way to let Him in is to pray and ask Him to come in. Again, it’s just as if I’m knocking at the door of your house.”
And she did!
In essence, that princess became an Esther, a woman of great influence at the highest levels. And Luis Palau, an orphan from Argentina, was her Mordecai. Well, that last point might be a bit of a stretch, but, in principle, illustrates the power of sharing God’s mercy.
Mordecai’s Powerful Bible Story
“At pivotal points in history, ordinary people rise to positions of greatness and then use that position to serve the greater good of others.” After the Babylonian captivity, in Persia, that person was Mordecai.
Like many Jewish people in ancient times, Mordecai probably had two names. Mordecai is his non-Jewish name. It refers to the false god Marduk, whom the Babylonians and others worshipped.
The Bible doesn’t record his Jewish name, but he was a descendant of King Saul, and therefore of royal Jewish blood. Of course, that didn’t mean anything to anyone anymore, least of all in Persia’s capital city of Susa.
Whether of royal blood or not, Mordecai used every opportunity, whether humbled or honored, to seek the welfare of those around him. That includes stepping up, probably way out of his comfort zone, and applying to work as a palace official (Esther 2:19, NLT). His duties soon included serving as one of the palace elders, so to speak, at the king’s gate (Esther 2:21).
Little did he know when he decided to adopt his young, orphaned cousin as his own daughter, that he was raising the next queen. Esther’s Jewish name was Hadassah.
For her own benefit, Mordecai nurtured a deep sense of trust and mutual respect in their relationship that would later save their lives and give each of them an audience with the Persian emperor, Xerxes I (c. 486-465 BC).
One day at the king’s gate, Mordecai overheard two men — who guarded the door of the king’s private chamber — plotting to assassinate Xerxes. These were evil men.
Mordecai risked his own life by reporting their plot as quickly as possible (Esther 2:21-23). In God’s timing, later on, Mordecai received a special honor for that deed — and gained greater authority to serve even more people.
When the decree to destroy the Jews went out from the palace, Mordecai immediately left the palace to mourn with his people. Yet, even from outside the palace gates, Mordecai seized the opportunity to use his influence in the inner courts.
Esther was the only one who could reach the king for help. Without hesitation, Mordecai appealed to her loyalty and destiny — asking her to do now what only she alone could do in order to save her people from otherwise certain death (Esther 4:8-16).
Then, he turned around and did exactly what Esther told him to do (Esther 4:17). Again, it gets back to nurturing a deep sense of trust and mutual respect.
After Haman’s wicked plot was exposed by Esther, Xerxes gave Haman’s estate to Esther and Haman’s position to Mordecai (Esther 8:1-2). In reality, God made Mordecai the new prime minister so he could save his people from annihilation.
Thankfully, the royal robes of the prime minister hung easily on his shoulders. No longer an ordinary Jewish citizen in a foreign country, Mordecai did not shrink back from such a position of honor and authority that gave him incredible power.
With that power, Mordecai sent out *decrees, instituted traditions, and preserved Jewish lives from Ethiopia to India. The Jewish people in 127 provinces came to realize they had very good friends in the royal courts (Esther 9:4–10:3).
Whether as a humble servant, an adoptive parent, or a political powerhouse, Mordecai lived to seek the good of others.
God gives opportunities in many clever disguises.
Whether humble or honored, you and I can seize each cleverly disguised opportunity to serve others and (at some point) perhaps even save someone’s life.
Like Mordecai, and like Luis Palau, let’s strategically use every opportunity to work for the good of others, at all levels of society, here and abroad to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Longest Bible Verse is about Mordecai
*By sending his first decree posthaste, Mordecai saved his people from Haman’s wicked plot. Scholars say this decree was written and sent on June 25, 474 BC. That makes Esther 8:9 arguably the most important verse within the Book of Esther. And it inadvertently wins “longest verse in the KJV Bible.”
Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language (Esther 8:9).
That’s 90 words versus 78 words in the second-longest KJV verse, Daniel 5:23.
For further reading:
What Can We Learn about God’s Providence from Esther’s Life?
What Does it Mean That Jesus Saves?
What Did Jesus Mean to ‘Go and Make Disciples’?
Why Does Daniel Have the Most Memorable Bible Stories?
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