Namah & Estella

In a land far away, there was a kingdom...and in the efforts to keep this story short, this will be a sort of "Cliff Notes" version.

In this great and glorious kingdom, there were among its citizens two subjects who would unkowingly be seeking the same thing, the favor of King Khashayar. First is Namah. Namah has been blatant in his efforts to obtain the king's favor. Everyone knows that Namah wants the favor of the king, and he gets it too. Namah does what it takes to be in King Khashayar's presence and to have his favor. He's good at it and he loves it.

Estella didn't start out as Namah did, playing the politics game and so forth, but she as well ends up seeking the favor of the king. However, her reasons for seeking the favor of King Khashayar seem quite different from those of Namah. Her methods are also different, but she as well obtains the favor of the king.

The story, however isn't merely about how Namah or Estella got to that point of favor. This story is also about how they and indeed the king himself respond to that favor.

Namah seems to drink from the cup of the king's favor with reckless abandon. The more he drinks, the more his desire is fueled to have even more. Soon he finds himself bragging and boasting that he has the greatest share of King Khashayar's favor, more than any other citizen in the kingdom. Namah begins to think and even believe that he will drink from this cup of favor for the rest of his life, and nothing will change it. He begins being a little more brash. He starts taking greater risks, because after all, he'll always have the king's favor. He can never really get into trouble.

Upon finding herself in the favor of the King, Estella begins to learn the king's likes and dislikes. She discovers that King Khashayar strictly enforces the laws of his kingdom. Like other realms and other kings, Khashayar knows that if the laws are not enforced, they will soon be useless and mocked, as well as the king who failed to enforce them. Estella realizes that the favor she has obtained with the king cannot be abused. She must never do anything that would force the king to choose between enforcing his laws or extending her favor, but it is exactly what she does do.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a story from the Bible. Namah is Haman spelled backwards. Estella is a Spanish form of Esther. Khashayar is another name for King Xerxes. The definition for grace is - unmerited favor.

Having the unmerited favor (grace) of God can be respected, as by Esther, or abused, as by Haman. Yes, the grace is freely given. However, Haman abuses the king's favor and begins to think he can do anything he wants and never lose that grace. Many christians as well think that once they have grace it is a license to "be bad." Haman finds out quickly that one can fall out of favor of the king.

Esther respects the grace she is given. Her respect for the king and his laws shows in all she does. When she does come before the king unexpectedly, the king sees that this is the woman who has respected him, reflected his character throughout the kingdom and obeyed the laws. Xerxes extends the scepter - grace. Likewise, God continues to extend grace to us. He sees in us His character and obedience to His laws through the power and sacrifice of His Son and he extends grace.

How will we treat this unmerited favor? Will we be like the villain in the story and abuse it to selfish ends? Or will we respect it and long to be more like the King who extends it to us?