He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. – Esther 4:2
Esther 4:2 describes a scene when Mordecai, cousin of Esther, has heard the devastating news that a scheme is in place to wipe out the Israelite people. He goes into mourning and seeks an audience at the palace for help, but he is not allowed into the presence of royalty dressed in sackcloth (think burlap feed sack). He is a man in dire straits and desperate need, but to see the king he must attain a certain status.
This is strikingly antithetical to our King, the one who sits at the right hand of the Father and rules over all. What is unwelcome in his presence is not mourning or poverty but rather pride and self-sufficiency. Our King invites the poor, the weak, the weary, the downtrodden, and the humiliated to come into his presence and be lifted up. We do not need to achieve a status or pull ourselves together to gain an audience with King Jesus. He has already sought us out in our state of poverty and weakness and has given himself to us.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
