Prejudice

 

    Prejudice is a word that every adult knows, but may have not idea of the impact.  Prejudice is another word for hate that is expressed in unfair judgment.  It is hate that causes harm or injury by taking away or stomping on the legal rights of a group of people.  It is a characteristic that is basically learned, so some people may not even be aware that they are doing it.  However, there are some people that are just hateful and never needed to learn how to inflict pain.

    Today, I introduce the last of the main characters in the story of Esther.  His name is Haman.  He is the best example of a prejudice man.  He held a seat of honor in King Xerxes court.  Basically he was held higher than the other nobles and it was expected that everyone show him honor.  People did out of respect for the title, fear, or just being raised to do so.  Everyone that is, but Mordecai.  Haman felt that Mordecai insulted him, so he took his wrath out on all the Jews.  He was determined to destroy the Jews.  

    King Xerxes and Esther had been married for about eight years.  It seemed like a good marriage over all, but he still did not know who his wife was.  When Haman came to him and convinced him to destroy all the Jews and he would gain and he would gain all their wealth.  He did not know he was sentencing his own wife to death.  

    Xerxes thought the Jews were a disobedient people that only acknowledged their own laws and not his.  The king had enough money, so he told Haman that he could keep the wealth for himself.  He was not a selfish king.  He just didn't know everything that was going on around him and Haman took advantage of that.

    Haman used the signet ring to set an ordinance to annihilate all the Jews on a set day.  He sent word throughout the entire nation, so that all the Persians knew that they had the right and duty to kill off all their Jewish neighbors.  It did not matter what their sex or age were.  They all had to die.  

    Of course the Jews heard everything and the city of Susa became an unsettled place.  Tension ran high and fear was in the air all because of the prejudice of one powerful person.  This is how to bring about a revolution or revolt.  Fear brings out the worst in people.  Prejudice brings about division.  

    Over the last few years there has been a spot light on prejudice.  Everywhere you turn you hear and see things about black rights.  Now the spot light has turned to the prejudice of the Asians.  It is horrible how people may hate others because they have a different color skin or a culture that is not understood.  I am sure the Hispanic racism will be next that is addressed.  People need to treat people as people.  Hatred should be addressed without bringing skin color or religion into it.  White people are actually being treated horribly because it is assumed that they are all prejudice.  It is assumed that they have all these rights that most do not.

    While all this is going on there is a secret prejudice against Christians is going unaddressed.  We are not allowed to speak about what we believe or why.  If we do then we are torn apart.  We are called bigots and worse.  We may lose our jobs because we are "causing problems".  It is hard to be a Christian that tries to live like Christ in this world we live in today.

    

Esther 3