A BRUISED REED AND A SMOLDERING WICK
It is July. And here in Southern Ontario, that means it’s vacation season. Boatloads of people head off to cottages and hordes of campers flock to their favorite campgrounds booked five months in advance. It’s a time for outdoor sports, barbecues, beach and pool parties. It’s summertime; and excitement is in the air.
But this July feels different to me. There is a certain world-weariness that pervades my heart, even as I rejoice over the many delights of life, family, and church.
Over the past few months, many people have expressed similar feelings: a strange heaviness of heart, a feeling of vulnerability and depletion, a sense that they are “low on fuel.”
As I reflected on these realities, the remarkable promises of Isaiah 42 have been helpful for me. Would you spend a few minutes with me as we unpack and apply this life-giving truth to our weary souls?
In Isaiah 42:1, the Lord announces his chosen Servant in whom he delights, his Spirit-filled Servant who will bring justice to the nations. The next eight verses describe this Servant, his qualifications and mission.
The list includes descriptions you might expect of such a person: he will be fair in his judgments (v.3c), he will persevere in bringing justice to the world (v.4), he will be a light for the Gentiles (v.6), he will open the eyes of the blind (v.7a), and he will free captives from prison (v.7b).
But that’s not how the list begins. The list begins with these words (vv.2-3):
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.
Surprisingly, the justice-bringing Servant of the Lord comes to a justice-starved world, not with a raised voice and a domineering presence, but with gentleness and compassion to mend and give light to sinners and sufferers.
The bruised reed and a smoldering wick are pictures of a people who are beaten, demoralized, and exhausted to the point of near extinction. In the Servant’s faithful rendering of justice, he will care for those who are broken and burnt-out with tenderness. The gentle Servant of the Lord comes not to break and snuff out, but to mend and ignite.
And while the Servant faces resistance, encountering the same things that threaten to crush and quench us, he will not “falter or be discouraged;” he will triumph until God’s justice is established on earth (v.4). Indeed, the justice of God will not come about by a brute rectifying of wrongs, but by the light of God’s truth and grace that opens blind eyes and frees those who are captive in darkness (vv.6-7).
If you’re thinking, “That sounds a lot like Jesus,” you would be right. In Matthew 20:15-21 , the gospel writer tells us explicitly that the prophecy of Isaiah 42 was written about Jesus who “healed all who were ill” with humility, without loud proclamation. Jesus is the justice-establishing, gentle and compassionate Servant of God in whom the nations will hope.
Oh, how our weary souls need the gentle healing touch of Christ, the Servant of God!
For many people all over the world, life in a post-COVID world feels a little bit like climbing out of the gloom of a bomb shelter. There is real relief, there is joy, there is hope.
But we also get the sense that we are awakening to a strange new world, one that feels more alien, more threatening, more hostile.
We find ourselves reeling in a society that is threatening to tear itself apart in the wake of ideological and political tensions. And none of us is immune to these tensions.
Many of us are still making sense of what has been lost over the past few years and struggling to grieve our losses well.
Many of us feel like a bruised reed and a smoldering wick.
And what do we do when we’re feeling broken and extinguished? We go into survival mode. We fight, we flee, we freeze.
I think that is why so many of us are feeling more tired, suspicious and skeptical than ever before. Some have grown less generous with one another, quicker to take offense, quicker to lash out in anger. Many find it more challenging than ever to commit to anything, more reluctant to trust people, especially those in positions of authority. It’s exhausting to live this way.
And it is to exhausted, confused, conflicted bruised reeds and smoldering wicks like us that Jesus, the gentle servant of God comes to mend what has been broken and to reignite what’s nearly extinguished. We desperately need the tender touch of Jesus.
So, the Lord says in verse 6:
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;”
The gentle Shepherd who knows your weaknesses is reaching down to us today by His Holy Spirit. Will you grasp His strong, gracious hand? What does that look like? Let me suggest a few alternative responses to “fight, flee, and freeze:”
When you feel the urge to fight, remember the Apostle Paul’s words: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Do not be deceived. Our enemy, Satan, is working behind the scenes to pour fuel on the flames of our relational, societal, and political conflicts. When we demonize people, we play right into the hands of demons. When you feel the urge to fight, turn your ire towards your own flesh (sinful nature) and Satan. Resist him and he will flee from you (1 Pet 5:9, Jas 4:7).
When you feel the urge to flee the tumult of our world, flee instead to the glorious promises of God contained in His Word, the Bible; flee instead to the glorious refuge of pouring out your heart to the Lord in prayer; flee instead to the glorious Body of Christ, the Church, without whom we would be adrift. The temptation to escape our problems and numb our sorrows is strong. Don’t give into it. Flee to the healing arms of Jesus and His Bride.
When you feel the urge to freeze, stand firm instead upon the unmoving rock of ages, Jesus the Lord, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He alone is ultimately faithful to “establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 The 3:3).
So, church family, I pray with eagerness that you will enjoy, by God’s grace, a wonderfully restorative summer season. May our merciful Lord mend and ignite our spirits with His Spirit as we grasp his outstretched hand!