2:21-22 Respect for Authority Mordecai didn’t have much reason to like King Xerxes. The king’s temper and greed had ripped Esther from Mordecai’s house. Instead of a shared family life, Mordecai and Esther could only communicate through sending messages by way of the palace staff. Yet Mordecai still spoke up about the plot against the king’s life. God calls on Christians to intercede on behalf of those in authority (1 Tim 2:2).