The book of Esther is a story that, like a parable, makes its point as a whole unit. Because parables are relatively self-contained and short, they make congenial preaching texts. Because Esther is much longer than a parable, the point it makes is multifaceted and invites deeper reflection. This also makes it difficult to preach Esther because when a manageable-sized portion of text is selected, the story as a unit recedes from view, and the part tends to lose its connection to the whole. For this