From Humbug to Hallelujah: A 5-Day Christmas TransformationSample

From Humbug to Hallelujah: Extending Mercy

Why is it that forgiving the people closest to us can feel so impossibly hard? Love, as the Proverb says, may cover a multitude of sins, but some wounds feel as if they cut too deeply to be healed. And around the holiday table, you might find yourself face-to-face with someone you’ve struggled to forgive for years.

Scrooge, on his final, sobering journey with the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, is forced to reckon with the damage he inflicted on those closest to him: the people he wronged through his greed and cold-heartedness, like his nephew Frederick, faithful Bob Cratchit, and even strangers who became looters in his home. Scrooge’s life was defined by his refusal to extend mercy; the question is, will we let it define ours?

Who in your life has left scars like the ones Scrooge made?

Maybe it’s a parent whose choices tore your family apart.

A friend who abandoned you when you needed them most.

A child whose destructive path weighs heavily on your heart.

Forgiving those we care about isn’t easy, especially when their actions have left us wounded. But in A Christmas Carol, both Frederick and Bob Cratchit chose to forgive Scrooge despite all he’d done. Their mercy not only freed Scrooge but also allowed them to move forward unburdened by bitterness. Mercy, as Jesus reminds us, isn’t just a kindness to the one who’s wronged us—it’s a way to set ourselves free: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Jesus, who showed us what mercy truly looks like, even towards those who least deserve it, calls us to do the same. It’s a challenging request, especially when forgiveness requires us to let go of justified anger. But James puts it plainly: “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you” (James 2:12-13). Forgiving others doesn’t just lift them off our emotional hook; it frees us from the weight of carrying resentment.

So, who do you need to forgive this Christmas? The person might be closer than you think—just a hallway away, or a phone call waiting to happen. Are you willing to take that step?

Reflection Question: Forgiveness can feel especially difficult when it involves a family member or close friend. Who do you need to forgive this Christmas? What’s one small step you can take today to begin extending mercy to them—and finding freedom for yourself?