“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50
Young Mary expressed a truth many fail to understand in our day. The LORD’s mercy is on those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
In other words, not all receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. Though God “so loved the world,” and Christ died for the sins of all (John 1:29; 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:15; 1 John 2:2), not all are pardoned and forgiven. Rather it is those who humble themselves before the LORD God, acknowledge their sinfulness and look to Him for mercy for the sake of the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus, God the Son in human flesh and our Savior.
This same truth is expressed in Psalm 103:17-18: “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” (Cf. Psalm 95:7ff.; Isa. 53:1; Rom. 10:16.)
In Exodus 20:5-6, we read: “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (cf. Ex. 34:6-7).
The truth expressed by Mary, as well as in the Psalms and Exodus, is not that anyone can merit God’s mercy by his works or keeping the Commandments but that God shows mercy to those who confess their sins and look to Him for mercy in Christ Jesus, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; cf. Psalm 32:1-6).
To fear the LORD is to honor and respect Him as our God, Creator and holy Judge. It is to acknowledge that His ways are right and ours are wrong and sinful and deserving of His judgment. And, it is to take Him at His word and trust in His promises of a Savior who would take our sins upon Himself, pay the price and make atonement, and redeem us to God (cf. Gal. 4:4-5). It is to repent of our sins and sinful ways and look in faith to Christ and His cross for mercy and forgiveness!
And God’s mercy is on those who fear Him – on those who partake of His covenant of mercy – from generation to generation. God’s mercy was upon the Old Testament saints, upon the young Virgin Mary, upon Jesus’ disciples in the first century, upon all who repented and trusted in Christ down through the centuries; and it is upon us today when we turn from our sinful ways to Christ Jesus for mercy and forgiveness.
Indeed, “His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.”
Lord God, grant that we not be proud, self-righteous and impenitent, but penitent and trusting in our crucified and risen Savior for mercy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]