MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM ESTHER: THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS SERIES - 12/7/09

Matt Hatch spoke from Esther 5.1-6.14 looking at the issue of pride through the life of Haman. Matt made three points from the text.

(1) The Ugliness of Pride (5.1-10)

Pride in it’s very nature is competitive, you are only proud when you compare yourself to other people and say “I am better than her at….!” When and in what ways do you find yourself comparing yourself to others and elevating yourself above them in order to make yourself feel better?

(2) The Dangers of Pride (5.11-14)

Matt said “pride is odourless in nature”, that is we often do not think we are proud. We can always point pride out in other people’s lives but fail to notice the pride in our own life. Even worse, it is religious people who are in the greatest danger because we often think that because ‘we live a good life’ we are better than others. In what ways do you point out the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye whilst failing to notice the plank of wood in your own eye (Matthew 7.3-5)?

Matt also helpfully pointed out that BOTH boasting and self-pity have pride at their root. We boast because we are “better” than someone else but we often filled with self-pity because we are not as good as others. Either way we are trying to elevate ourselves and make a name for ourselves (and either being successful and therefore boasting or failing and therefore being full of self-pity). When and in what ways do find that you are full of self pity?

(3) The Antidote to Pride (6.6-11)

Mordecai, the man that the king delights to honour (vs6), is given a royal robe, a horse to ride on and a royal crest on his head. In comparison Jesus is striped of is royal robe, rides in on a donkey and wears a crown of thorns on his head - “this is what is done for the man the kind delights to honour” (vs9). He was humbled so we could be lifted up. Tim Keller says “the fact that Jesus HAD to die for me humbled me out of my pride. The fact that Jesus was GLAD to die for me assured me out of my fear.” Both pride and self-pity are dealt with at the cross. There is no room for boasting, Jesus died to take away my sin. There is no room for self-pity, Jesus died to show me how much he loves me and how valuable I am to him. How practically can reflecting on the cross help you deal with boasting and self-pity?

Reflect as a group on Mark 10.32-45 (the attitude of James and John compared with Jesus) and 1 Peter 5.5-7 (the connection between pride and anxiety).