The Father of Mercies

While recently meditating on the narratives in Luke 1, I was struck by the recurrence of the word "mercy." I shouldn't have been, I suppose, for after all, this passage recounts two resplendent, grace-filled events immediately preceding the miraculous birth of our Lord.

The first brief story informs us of an elderly Jewish couple who had no children. We are told that the husband, Zechariah, served his Lord as a priest in the temple, and that his wife, Elizabeth, was a descendant of Aaron, Israel's first high priest.

While Zechariah was ministering in the temple one notable day, he received a start-ling visit by an angel, informing him that not only would he and Elizabeth become parents in their old age, but that their son would play a special role in preparing God's people for the promised Messiah. Though he initially responded in disbelief to the angel's announcement, nine months later this righteous priest sang a Spirit-induced hymn, punctuated with the theme of mercy:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people . . . to show the mercy promised to our fathers . . . (1:68, 72a).

Then, looking into the face of his newborn son, he sings:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, . . . (1:76-78a).

The next story involves the mother of our Lord, Mary. Following Gabriel's incomparable announcement to the young virgin that she was to be the human bearer of the Christ child, she rushed to tell Elizabeth the Good News. After greetings were exchanged, Mary burst forth in song, exulting in the mercy of God:

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation (1:50).

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, . . . (1:54).

Is it any wonder, then, that the early church's foremost persecutor, who was later surprised by God's mercy, calls this God "the Father of mercies" ( 2 Cor. 1:3)?