The Mercy of God at Christmas

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

   from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

(3-5minute read)

This Christmas I invite you to consider the celebration as more than the birth of our Savior and the festivities surrounding it. Christmas is also the story of God’s mercy—mercy that reaches beyond spiritual need to include the physical and emotional need of the vulnerable and abused.

Even more significant is that the depth of God’s mercy and concern for the poor is told through a young girl from a humble background. Mary herself was seemingly unimportant and susceptible to harm.

When the angel Gabriel told Mary “you have found favor with God”(Luke 1:30) and would bear God’s Son, her situation changed completely. As a Jewish girl in biblical times, Mary’s engagement to Joseph (Luke 1:27) carried more than intent. It involved a formal agreement between two families. Engagements were legally binding. A pregnancy, and suspected sexual behavior with another person would be considered adultery. Adultery was a serious offence and an affront to the spouse, families, and community but also to God. Mary faced complete disgrace and the likelihood of Joseph divorcing her.

Yet, Mary knew the child she bore would bring God’s justice to the lowly, forgotten and dismissed. She trusted Him completely to intervene on her behalf in the injustice she, too, could face.

And so, Mary’s words to Gabriel were “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Mary knew God to be merciful. and on the side of those who were vulnerable. God would fight for her honor and respect.

The words of Mary’s song—the Magnificat—reveal the strength of her faith in God to bring justice to her, throughout history, and today. As N.T. Wright explains: “Mary sees a vision…of God confronting a world full of arrogance and abused power and carelessness and brutality and finally, at long last, turning everything the right way up.”

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“My soul glorifies the Lord…

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

   from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

   but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

   but has sent the rich away empty.

(Luke1:48-53)

This Christmas season, may we, like Mary, be filled with knowledge of God’s concern for those who are vulnerable, and fulfill Mary’s vision through our obedience to say, “I am the Lord’s servant.”

Rachel Britton

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Your support of the Heart of Mercy Mission helps fulfill God’s requests of us, his people. It allows you to be a partner with the teams who are ministering in Jesus’ name, helping marginalized women around the world. Heart of Mercy Mission, as the humanitarian arm of Christian Women in Media Association, puts members’ heartfelt compassion into action and gives hope to the hopeless...feeding them, loving them, and leading them to Jesus. Heart of Mercy Mission is justice, mercy and compassion in action.

HMM welcomes your financial support and invites you to become an Awareness Advocate and share about the ministry with your networks – church, family, friends, ministry, etc.

Your support directly translates into tangible acts of mercy and care in our community.

This past month alone, your generosity helped our team provide:

●     Food packages for women and their families.

●     Dental help and medications.

●     Dedicated counseling for women (receiving 5-8 sessions each).

●     Urgent Need: Winter Shoes. With the cold weather, we have an urgent and specific need to protect children in high-risk families. We desperately need winter shoes for 35children who are vulnerable to trafficking. Each pair costs $40. Please help us provide warmth and safety this season by contributing toward this goal.

Your financial gift to Heart of Mercy Mission will support our work around the globe. Please pray about how you can best support the mission through prayer, advocacy, or financial sponsorship.

Please pray for:

●     the marginalized women around the world and in our programs who experience poverty, rejection from community, trafficking, grief, and trauma.

●     the staff who faithfully minister in our programs.

●     financial needs to be met for the work to continue.

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