Isaiah 42:3-4 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment to truth.… I. WHO ARE SET FORTH UNDER THE FIGURE OF A BRUISED REED? It is a description that well suits all believers, without exception. Some are comparatively stronger than others. How is this where all are so weak? Because they have a deeper, more deeply felt experience of weakness. They live more by faith, lean more on Jesus, are brought into deeper poverty of spirit, receive Him more fully. Those branches next the stem are always the strongest. But our text sets forth the weak believer, and one who is conscious of it. It is not only a reed, but a bruised reed. Perhaps heavy afflictions wound the believer, and temporal troubles become strong spiritual temptations. It is storm upon storm, tempest upon tempest, and the poor reed not only bends beneath it", but is bruised beneath it. The world is unkind, friends are unkind, saints are unkind, and faith being weak, God seems unkind; and then the soul, full of suspicion, is unkind to itself, and suspects its own grace. What s bruising is this! Perhaps a deep sense of sin and inward corruption is added to this. II. OUR LORD'S CONDUCT TO SUCH. He will not break this bruised reed. 1. His faithfulness will not permit it. These are of those whom the Father has entrusted to His love. 2. His holiness will not permit it. Here is a spark of His own kindling, a germ of His own planting, a new nature of His own creating, a child of God, one who loves Him — will He bruise such a one? 3. His tenderness will not permit it. Will a kind physician neglect his patient? Will a shepherd forget his wandering sheep? Will a mother dash her sick child to the earth?Conclusion — 1. Beware lest you make your feebleness an excuse. There is all fulness in Christ. 2. Beware lest you increase your feebleness. Sin enfeebles, neglects enfeeble, the world enfeebles; want of peace in the conscience enfeebles; living on anything but Christ enfeebles. 3. Admire that condescending Saviour who can stoop to this bruised reed. 4. Admire the compassion of the Saviour. 5. Still more admire Him who has supported, who has all grace to help. 6. Be contented to be ever weak in yourself. (J. H. Evans, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. |
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