Esther 6:14-7:6

Esther 6:14-7:6 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Here's what's fascinating about this passage to me.  When Haman is talking to the King in Esther 3, he's talking about a nameless people, and the King has no problem allowing Haman to have his way.  He's not offended at the thought of their destruction.
  And yet, just a few chapters later, the King is shocked and appalled at the thought of the destruction of the Jews, Esther's people. 
  What happened?
  A personal relationship.
   When the King initially allowed this to go through, the Jews were a faceless people, and none of them meant anything to the King.  Now that the King knows Esther, they matter to him.  He's no longer okay with their wanton destruction.   He wants to fight to save them.
  What we learn is that personal relationships matter.  Building a relationship with one person can change the way you see entire categories of people.  They  move from the realm of the 'other' into real people, with stories that matter.  Hearts and minds and lives are changed.
  God knows us and deals with us on an individual level.  May we do the same, reaching out and letting God change us through relationships.