7/1/2025
"A bruised reed He will not break, and a
smoking flax He will not quench...."
Matthew 12:20
I'm sitting alone, waiting for the temperature to drop and the wind to pick up a little, so I can head outside to do some yard work, before it starts to rain again. There's a nice breeze blowing through the window here in the kitchen, so I guess I best stop procrastinating and get my boots on. Hardly had I written those words than I hear "Tzeva Adom" which is "Red Alert" in Hebrew. It seems as if the Houthis in Yemen are firing rockets at Israel again. So much for peaceful days. The head of the snake, Iran, has been silent, but the proxies are not. This is very disconcerting, but then, it has been this way for Israel for a very long time. It's just hard for me to think about children running to bomb shelters as a routine way of life.
The scripture quoted by Jesus, Matthew 12:20, was taken from the text written by Isaiah the prophet in chapter 42 when he was describing the coming Messiah:
"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, or raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law." (Isaiah 42:1-4)
God is speaking favorably about the Gentile nation, and later in verses 6 and 7 He continues by saying His people will be a "light to the Gentiles." Many people are confused about the Bible these days, especially when it pertains to Israel, but clearly Isaiah is speaking of Jesus, and the word includes us, as Gentile believers. In verse 9 God continues to speak through the prophet Isaiah saying: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." Throughout the books of the prophets, God speaks through them to warn, correct, and proclaim good news.
In the book of Matthew in Chapter 12, Jesus speaks these words from Isaiah: "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust." (Matthew 12:15-21). Jesus had been teaching the multitudes, and the religious leaders were around as usual, listening to Jesus teach, although not for the right motives. They were trying to find reasons to condemn Jesus in front of the multitudes who are following Him. First, they seek to condemn Jesus for the disciples eating on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8), then for healing the man with the withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Matthew 12:9-14). Jesus tells them in verse 8, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." After Jesus heals the man's hand, the religious leaders set out to plot to destroy Him.
Jesus' heart was for the people, but clearly, the religious leaders acted out of jealousy, pride, resulting in a deep hatred for Jesus and the message He preached, because it threatened their position as self-made gods to be followed, every additional law they added, even though it was not written in the original laws given by God to Moses. They were the experts, which I find very interesting, because for students of the Law, they missed every prophetic word announcing the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet, Jesus went about with His disciples delivering the good news of the Kingdom of God, and many were saved, healed, and delivered. He didn't yell or harass the people, or beat them over the head with rules and more rules, as the religious leaders did. His message threatened them, when it should have made them rejoice. The verses above speak of Jesus' response to those who sought after Him, "a bruised reed He will not break and smoking flax He will not quench." Those who followed Jesus were "damaged" like a bent over river reed, that although damaged, was not destroyed, still functional with care. Jesus saw the broken and damaged - spiritually, physically, morally weak people - and He offered them hope, healing, and transformation. Smoking flax has not been completely lit on fire, so it smolders, but it can be rekindled. Jesus sought to restore hope, encourage, build up, set lives on fire with the gospel. Using creation as examples, Jesus gives hope. Creation and the very act of creation since the beginning of time shout praises to His name and serve as examples of His majesty and awe. It is the same today if we take time to see and listen to the voice of nature.
As I write, I always listen to music playing softly in the background. Sitting here, window open, I smell the cleanness of the air, a faint scent of honeysuckle, see the trees gently tousled by a subtle breeze, and I hear the birds' song, their conversation with one another. I'm listening to beautiful music by a skillful pianist playing old beloved hymns, amidst scenes of nature, setting the mood for listening and hearing. What a Friend we Have in Jesus is playing now, one of my mama's favorites, and a proper close for today, as mama was definitely a bruised reed, a smoldering wick, a delicate flower among the gardens of roses and azaleas, and every beautiful blossom imaginable. An artist who is now resting in the arms of the Savior she adored.
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