A very short phrase. “Giving credit to Mordecai.”

A very big meaning.

Esther had become queen. She had some influence in the palace (though still not a very high place, simply elevated among the women) while Mordecai, her caregiver walked outside the gate. Mordecai overhears a plot against the king and relates it to Esther, who tells the king. The key is, she makes sure to credit Mordecai.

She didn't have to do that. She could've elevated herself in some way, telling the king, "I've become aware of a plot against you." The king would never have known the difference, and indeed, even with a second mention of Mordecai (recorded in front of the king) Xerxes doesn't recognize Mordecai for some time to come. And, Esther doesn't force him to.

This is an interesting balance of recognition here, and shows great wisdom on Esther's part. On the one hand, she was careful to give credit where credit was due. On the other, she didn't push her own agenda. (Chances are, she would have really liked Mordecai to be rewarded.)

I ask myself two questions from this:

Those in vocational ministry joke that there is really not anything original that we write or speak...we often use ideas from other sources and revamp them for our particular audience. There isn't anything necessarily wrong with re-packaging an idea (I've heard that ideas aren't copyrighted, but presentation can be, i.e. how you present the idea.) However, it is still a gracious gesture to indicate where an idea may have come from, particularly if someone says, "That's a great idea! I wish I had thought of that." Letting someone believe it was completely original to us is deceptive. Esther did not do that.

I remember years ago that I interfered in a situation on behalf of a good friend. I thought I was doing a nice thing, trying to fix a relationship with a third party, which she had confided in me wasn't at the level she was hoping it could be. When she found out what I did, she said, "I wish you hadn't done that." I'll never forget that. We are still close and that issue did not ruin our relationship at all. But it sensitized me to the risk of overstepping. Often, our friends need a listening ear, not necessarily a plan for fixing a problem. They need to know they can trust us. If you have an idea for fixing a problem, ask them if they want to hear your idea, or want you to intervene.

For a young woman in a foreign environment, Esther sure was wise and a great example to us. I think God helped her grow in wisdom every day, with the help of a loving, wise mentor like Mordecai.