The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 7 - Rituals 505
She carefully concealed her descent from the captive race. However, when
powerful enemies of the Jews persuaded the king to issue an edict according to
which the Hebrew race should be destroyed, Queen Esther entered the king's
palace unsummoned, under the penalty of death, unless the king should extend
his sceptre as a signal of pardon, in order to save her people. The king extended
the golden sceptre towards her and fulfilled her request.
After this lecture, the candidate receives sign and pass of the degree, whose
color is white as a symbol of light, purity, and joy, which should teach the
members that "a pure and upright life is above the tongue of reproach" (p. 53).
According to the Manual, white, represented by the "White Lily," is
emblematical of the white robes of Esther, the noble-hearted Queen of Persia 1459 .
The emblems of the degree, the crown and sceptre, united are an emblem of
royalty and power (p. 53).
Then, the candidate is led to the fourth point of the Star, Martha's station. The
Manual states the reason for choosing this character as the fourth degree of the
Order of the Eastern Star:
The structure of Freemasonry in its obligations, emblems and principles
is so peculiar, that we, Master Masons, above all other men, are taught
to respect undeviating faith in the hour of trial. The great doctrines of
Masonry are all borrowed from the Bible. Our devotion to Masonry is
chiefly founded upon this, that we believe the Bible to be the Word of
God, and therefore our principles, which are derived from the Bible,
were written by the finger of God.
Therefore, when we find in history a person whose faith in the
Redeemer was so fixed and thorough that even the death of her most
beloved friend could not shake it, we seize upon that character as our
own. We adopt and surround it with fraternal protection. We hail it as a
Masonic character, and we claim whatever credit or honor may be
associated with it.
Such a character [...] we discover in the Book of John, under the title
of MARTHA. And we have so surrounded the appeal of that noble and
heroic woman to her Savior, and her thorough confidence in his
omnipotent power, with emblems, legends and tokens of recognition, as
to make of it a section in ADOPTIVE MASONRY. 1460
The officer Martha rises, and Sister Conductress presents to her the
candidate, who is to hear Martha's story: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were
residents of Bethany, known among the people as followers of Christ. During the
absence of the latter, Lazarus fell ill and died, and when Jesus returned to
Bethany, Martha hastened to meet him and expressed her belief by saying "Lord
if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (p. 54). Jesus told her that her
1459 Macoy, Manual of the Order of the Eastern Star, p. 41.
1460 Ibid, p. 53/54.