Restored and the Transformational Mercy of Jesus

Guest Blogger Bekah Legg

I wonder what comes to mind when you think of mercy. I think it’s a common assumption that mercy is static relief from suffering that is merely received. Yet within the mercy of God, there is much more going on. Yes, God’s mercy does alleviate our suffering but it’s also something dynamic and transformational.

For the last 15 years, we have seen the transformational mercy of Jesus in our work at Restored. We are a Christian charity with a mission to:

Speak up about the realities of violence against women and girls, and to equip the Church to stand against domestic abuse and support survivors.

As we have pursued this mission, Jesus’ abundant mercy has been at work to change the story for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, to lead them from darkness to light, from despair to hope, from hiding to thriving.

These 15 years have been very busy! We have trained 1132 church leaders and members. Our Survivors Network currently supports over 780 women, and three more survivors join us each week. We have distributed 4891 copies of our Survivors Handbook. And we have welcomed 16 churches into our Beacon Network.

But of course, it’s not just about the numbers. So let me introduce you to Molly*. Molly is a member of our Survivors Network, and here she describes her desperate need for mercy as she experienced domestic abuse.

No one in my church listened to or believed me, so leaving my marriage meant leaving them too. It was bad enough that my husband didn’t love me, but my church didn’t love me either; life felt dark for so long [...] So I searched ‘Is love real?’ on the internet, because I needed to know.

Molly’s experience sounds very familiar to the experience of a blind man that Jesus met in Luke’s gospel: 

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This man had been ostracised from his community, abandoned on the margins, unloved and unwanted. He needed mercy. And Jesus provided.

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Luke 18:35-42

Unlike others, Jesus didn’t rebuke this man but brought him near and provided mercy according to his needs. For Molly, this same mercy of Jesus was thankfully provided through the Survivors Network, and the care of a Restored Beacon church. Molly says:

Now, I feel safe and I feel loved. My church leaders don’t treat me as a project to be fixed, but as a worthwhile person with something to give; like an equal, not some woman trying to cause trouble. It’s so beautiful to be part of a church where I’m loved and accepted, that walks alongside me. Everything was so dark, but now it’s so bright.

As Jesus brought the blind man near, so the women in the Survivors Network and the members of Molly’s new church brought her into communities of love, mercy and hope.

But did you notice that the story of this blind man doesn’t finish immediately after he is healed. He doesn’t carry on as normal.. This man is totally transformed: he follows Jesus, praising God, and like a mercy magnet, people see him and praise God too. Jesus’ mercy is powerful and transformational - it overflows to bless others.

Molly is also a mercy magnet at Restored. She has blessed many other women in her own local church and the Survivors Network, and she has raised thousands of pounds for Restored. As Molly has received, so now she generously shares with others. She’s not just surviving, she is thriving.

Jesus’ transformational mercy has changed Molly’s story, and the story of hundreds of other women in our Survivors Network. We give thanks to Him for all that He has done over the last 15 years and we look forward expectantly to what He will do next.

Perhaps you would like to hear more stories like Molly’s? Why not sign up here to receive our newsletters and pray for the work of Restored. To find out more about the Restored Survivors Network, head to restored-uk.org/survivor

*Opinions expressed in guest posts are those of the author, and do not represent any official position held by Jubilee+.*