Merciful, Magnificat Mary

Who showed Mary, the mother of Jesus, mercy? Anyone? Did she need mercy? As Baptists we often see Mary as only a young, virginal girl whom God liked. We don't see her as our Catholic friends do such as, "The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. Pope Pius IX -- Ineffabilis Deus (1854)". No, we see her as young and in need of as much mercy as the rest of us.
However, if we look closely we also see a women who grows and learns about the son she bore and a life, like us, needing mercy.
We first see mercy offered to Mary when she visits her cousin Elizabeth and that mercy is felt in and through Elizabeth's immediate acceptance and belief of Mary's story of how she conceived her child. The second act of mercy bestowed upon her is when Joseph agrees to marry her, after an encounter with an angel in his dream.
These moments make me ponder, why does she need mercy, after all Mary has done nothing wrong and if we stick to our definition of mercy, from an earlier post (mercy is not receiving from God, what I deserve, punishment) then how is she is offered mercy? What I have come to realize is that when I follow God and participate in His will, it is often a journey that is backwards and upside down thinking compared to the worlds ideas. God seems to call me to do stuff others might not think is right, just like Mary who as a young, unwed girl should not have been pregnant. In her day girls who became pregnant outside of marriage would probably have had to leave their homes and their families. Some have argued that there was the potential of being sold into slavery or of being stoned to death. So indeed Mary was offered mercy (from a human perspective) and this is good news for this mercy protected the lineage of Messiah.
I wonder if any of you have faced an adventure like Mary's, where God has asked you to come out of your cultural restrictions and follow Him in the face of great adversity and if so, who was it that offered you mercy along the way?
This week I have been asking myself to whom did I show mercy, and when did I receive it? When I pause long enough and look into the eyes of the hurt people at Gathering Spot, where I work, do I look with eyes of judgment or with eyes of mercy? Do I see the drug addict who is clearly high on something as a problem or do I see her as a sister? Do I offer mercy? Do I tell them about Mary, the mother of my Lord?
When I read Mary's Magnificat found in Luke's Gospel, I am not fully convinced Mary actually sang this song, but I understand why it was written into her/the story. It is a song that offers an exultation of mercy, celebrating reversals. It is a mercy song we all need to hear, accept and sing along with.
In conclusion, I cannot help but think of Mary on the day they crucified her son, whom I believe she now also knew as her God and Savior. Was mercy shown to her that day? Yes, for "when Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home" (Gospel of John 19). Once again Mary was saved from expulsion, the disgrace of her son being crucified would have made her an outcast in society, just like the time when she conceived him. But more importantly then all of that, the ultimate mercy shown to her was Jesus' willingness to die for her and all of creation. He hung on that cross as an atonement for her and our sins.
If we carry our own crosses this week it maybe because we offered someone mercy, do we ever think of it that way? Does my offering off mercy to someone land me in someone else's bad books? What did Joseph's family think when he agreed to marry Mary? How have I judged this week, with mercy or hate? What I think matters most is that we too in our faith walk with God must come to that place where we can say along with Mary,
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty,
hath done great things to me;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

in mercy,
pamela

Mercy Misunderstood

I heard a song on the radio this week that had a great tune, and a memorable chorus. I caught myself singing along until I took a moment to think about what was being said, theologically. Then I realized I didn't agree or better, I interpret mercy and grace very differently. The singer sang away singing, "His grace is always larger then our sin, no matter how much we sin His grace is bigger". Hearing that I was struck with the notion that I do not put sin and grace together, but mercy and sin together.
For the last few days the many definitions of grace, mercy and sin which I have studied or was taught have rattled around in my head and I have decided to lay them out. What I have discovered is that I have misunderstood mercy for along time and it's time to have clear thinking on the matter.
There are many definitions of Grace, Sin and Mercy. I have grown up and accepted the traditional evangelical ones, but they all seem muddled together with no clear understanding of the role each plays in our relationship with Jesus. They are words we throw around without thinking them through. I have come to believe there is a clear distinction between them.
For argument sake (and lack of space) I will say that Sin is the "absence of peace", absence of Shalom. This is new thinking for me as I always thought and was taught that sin was "missing the mark and I had to turn around and repent". I don't fully reject that former teaching, but I am seeing the "absence of peace" as a much healthier way to view sin, but that is a conversation for another day. I want us to focus on mercy, something I think we have misunderstood.
When do we receive mercy? What is it, who offers it and how? Is it different from Grace, if so how and why? Is it always about justice or is it an act of compassion? These are some of the questions I am attempting to answer, but it is the following question I am struggling with the most, Have I ever really encountered, needed, and fully accepted the mercy of God? I have talked, preached, and prayed through all kinds of grace, but it was not until this season of darkness, this living through Psalm 88, did I ever truly meet His mercy. I can say with honesty, I have now felt His mercy. I realize I have for a long time confused mercy with grace.
Presently, I believe mercy is an act of Divine compassion where leniency and clemency are offered and that means I did not receive from God what I deserved, punishment. Grace, on the other hand is receiving from God His presence and love, guiding me through His sanctification process. That is totally different then having your punishment rendered.
I still have many questions and thoughts on how grace and mercy travel together and I am still processing this season of darkness that I am leaving behind and the mercy I am being shown throughout, which means I have just begun to scratch the surface on these ways of being (grace and mercy) and that means we are going to be talking about this for awhile. Until then, here is a great quote on Mercy from William Shakespeare, from his play, "The Merchant of Venice".
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

With heaps of grace, mercy and peace,
Pamela