Matthew 12:20

A bruised reed shall He not break.

The tenderness of Christ

1. The originality of Christ. It is easy to smile on the strong and prosperous: Christ’s smiles were for the weak.

2. The love of Christ is the root of His tenderness, This brought Him from the land of glory; He came to save man.

3. How practical Christ’s teaching.

4. But in dealing with bruised reed and dim wick, tenderness must be wise not to break the reed and quench the wick. No unwise precipitancy.

5. His work is not merely negative. He will do more than not break; He will strengthen. His work is perfect. (C. T. Coster.)

Compassion of Christ to weak believers

I. Some characteristics of weak believers.

1. The metaphor of a “ bruised reed” conveys the idea of

(1) a state of weakness. He is weak in knowledge, love, faith, joy, zeal, prayer. He laments his weakness.

(2) A state of oppression. He feels himself crushed under a sense of guilt.

2. The metaphor of “smoking flax “ conveys the idea of grace, true and sincere, but languishing and just expiring.

Describe the reality of religion in a low degree.

1. The Christian feels an uneasiness, emptiness, anxiety within.

2. He is very jealous of the sincerity of his religion.

3. He retains direction and tendency toward Christ. Even the smoking flax sends up some exhalations of love towards heaven.

II. The care and compassion of Jesus Christ for weak believers.

1. The declarations and assurances of Jesus.

2. His people in every age have found these promises good. Hear David, “This poor man cried,” etc.

3. Go to the cross and there learn this love and compassion. (President Davies.)

The Redeemer’s gentleness

Consider this narrative:-

I. As an exhibition of the personal character and disposition of Jesus.

1. He did not abandon His work in disgust.

2. He did not flag in it, but still healed all that came to Him.

3. He did not rail at His enemies, defy or denounce them to the people.

4. He quietly retired before the storm.

5. He avoided giving further offence.

II. View it in relation to his work and kingdom (Isaiah 42:1).

III. See the disposition of Jesus towards us individually.

1. Are we persecutors, He lets His meekness conquer hostility.

2. Are we weak in faith, He helps to victory.

3. Are we in affliction, He acts a kind part.

Learn:

1. To love and trust Him.

2. To imitate His spirit and conduct in times of persecution. (Congregational Pulpit.)

Bruised reed and smoking flax

Christ has nothing in common with demagogues, or world conquerors. The characteristics of His operations:-

I. Quietness. Rivulets noisy; deep, full rivers, still. Stillness the condition of growth.

II. Tenderness. Tenderness does not imply lack of force. Delicacy of touch in strong-natured men. Tenderness is not to be associated with moral indifference. In Him, associated with intense antagonism to moral evil.

III. Victorious on-going. No pause in the progress.

IV. So christ is the great creator of hope in the hearts of sin-cursed men-“In His name shall the Gentiles trust,” etc. (Preacher’s Monthly.)

Sweet comfort for feeble saints

I. A view of mortal frailty.

1. The encouragement in our text applies to weak ones.

2. To worthless things. A student cannot read bye smoking flax.

3. To offensive things.

4. These may yet be of some service.

II. The divine compassion.

III. There is certain victory-“Till He send forth judgment unto victory.” (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The tenderness of God

I. The tenderness of God as shown at certain periods and seasons of our lives.

II. If the bruised reed may represent our broken hopes, it may also represent our broken resolutions.

III. That Christ does not and will not apply the least force or violence to propagate his law or religion. God understands the structure of our minds and never offers violence to their free exercise. (W. M. H. Murray.)

Weakness prevalent

Have you ever thought how many weak things there are in the world? Look at the natural kingdom. How few are the oaks, and how many are the rushes! There is a rose, with a stem so fragile as to almost break under the burden of its own blushing and fragrant bloom. Yet God is God of the reed and the rose. (W. M. H. Murray.)

Tenderness better than terror

Why, you might as well try to frighten a flower into lifting its face toward the sun as to frighten a soul into lifting itself toward God! The attraction of light and love from above, and not the propulsion of fear from beneath, is what accomplishes the beautiful result. There is no need of any such rude and tyrannous force, such violent benevolence. (W. M. H. Murray.)

Tenderness toward the irresolute

Because you have broken one resolution, never imagine that He will not assist you to keep another, made with greater wisdom, and a more determined purpose. The temples of God, so far as we represent them, are all constructed out of ruins. He builds from the fragments of an ancient overthrow. Be persuaded of this, that nothing good in you ever escapes the notice of God. He is not, as some seem to picture Him, a heartless overseer, standing over you whip in hand, and watching for a chance to get in a blow. His observation is like a gardener’s. There is not a bud of promise that can open in your soul, there is not an odour that can be added to the fragrance of your lives, that He does not detect it and rejoice in it. Whatever beautifies you glorifies Him. He delights in your development, and smiles on your every effort in that direction. (W. M. H. Murray.)

Tenderness toward the outcast

I met a man the other day who had lived like the prodigal; wasted the substance of body and brain in riotous living. A magnificent wreck he was. A man who stood as I have seen a tree stand after a fire had swept through the forest-blasted and charred to the very core, all the life and vigour burnt out of it;yet keeping its magnificent girth and symmetry of proportion, even to the topmost bough. So that man stood. I took him kindly by the hand, and said, “Friend, there is hope in your future yet.” He drew himself slowly up until he stood at hie straightest, looked me steadily in the eye, and said, “Do you mean to say, Mr. Murray, that if I went to-night to God, He would pardon such a wretch as I?” See how he misunderstood God! See how we all misunderstand Him! Pardon! Is there any one He will not pardon? Is there a noisome marsh or stagnant pool on the face of the whole earth so dark, so reeking with rottenness and mire, that the sun scorns to shine on it? And is there a man so low, so heavy with corruption, so coarse and brutal, that God’s love does not seek him out? How is the world to be redeemed if you put a limit to God’s love? How is the great mass of humanity to be washed and lifted, if the thoughts of God are like our thoughts, and His ways like our ways? It is because He does not love as we do, because He does not feel as we do, because He does not act as we do, that I have any hope for my race-that I have any hope for myself. (W. M. H. Murray.)

Encouragement for new converts

I. The new convert typified by the bruised reed. A reed one of the frailest things in nature, a fit image of a person whose mind is newly turned to a knowledge of Divine truth; a bruised reed, they go in sorrow. God gentle to such.

II. The smoking flax shall he not quench. Before, it was portrayed by brokenness of heart; here, by weakness of faith. Of all things in the world flax is the most combustible. The smallest spark will kindle it into a blaze. The faith little, but real. The flax was smoking. A painted fire would have occasioned no smoke; however small therefore the fire, it was certainly a real fire. (H. Blunt.)

The gentleness of Christ

I. Examples of Christ’s gentleness recorded in Scripture.

1. In His dealing with His disciples (Luke 9:55; John 14:9; Mark 9:33; John 20:27; John 21:15).

2. And so in like manner to all the people (Matthew 11:28; Luke 7:36; John 8:3).

II. Some great truths taught us by Christ’s gentleness.

1. It implies that when there is so much as a spark of life in the conscience, there is possibility of entire conversion to God.

2. The only sure way of fostering the beginnings of repentance is to receive them with gentleness and compassion. How great a consolation there is in this Divine tenderness of Christ. (H. E. Manning.)

God’s care specific

I. Our entire dependence upon God. We are not trees able to resist, but reeds.

II. The text seems to imply that God sometimes bruises us. Life is a discipline. (G. H. Hepworth, D. D.)

God’s method with the weak and weary

I. The special treatment, negatively stated.

1. Considerate, not arbitrary.

2. Sparing.

3. Merciful.

4. Conciliating-He does not reject and despise.

II. The works in the ministry of Christ that fulfils the promise,

1. The redemptive works.

(1) The incarnation.

(2) Atonement.

2. Co-operative works.

(1) Means of grace.

(2) Discipline.

(3) Example.

(4) Guidance.

(5) Support. (W. E. M. Linfield, D. D.)

An improving discipline

As the flax is broken in the hackle spun by hard, patient labour into thread, woven with care and skill into the woof, and by exposure to light and darkness, dew and sunshine, heat and cold, is bleached and fulled into shining linen, so shall the glorious appearance of the redeemed come out of the great tribulation of life, and from the fulling in the blood of the Lamb. (W. E. M. Linfield, D. D.)

An emblem of the useless

A reed is, at the best, but a very ignoble growth in the vegetable world; it has no flowers for the hand of taste; it has no fruits for the lap of toil; it has no timber for architecture; it can form no weapon for war; it may render a very poor and uncertain support if you cut it into a slender staff, or it may perhaps solace a weary hour with very questionable music if you shape it into a shepherd’s pipe; but at the best a reed is one of the least precious things in the vegetable kingdom. (F. Greeves.)

Weak grace may be victorious

I. The object.

1. A bruised reed-such as are convinced of their own weakness, vanity, and emptiness.

2. The smoking flax of the wick of a candle, wherein there is not only no profit, but some trouble and noisomeness.

II. The act-“He shall not break … not quench.”

III. The continuance of IT-“Till He send forth judgment unto victory.” Doctrine. True; though weak, grace shall be preserved, and in the end prove victorious.

1. The love of God is engaged in its preservation.

2. The power of God.

3. The holiness of God.

4. The wisdom of God.

5. The glory of God.

Further, Christ is engaged in this work, as

(1) A purchaser of His people;

(2) An actual proprietor and possessor by way of

(a) donation from His Father;

(b) conquest of every gracious person;

(c) mutual consent and agreement;

(d) appointment to take care of every believer.

Christ’s charge was

(a) to redeem them;

(b) to be their governor;

(c) to receive them;

(d) to perfect them. (S. Charnock.)

Bruised reed

Jerome takes it for a musical instrument made of a reed which shepherds used to have, which, when bruised, is flung away by the musician, as disdaining to spend his breath upon such a vile instrument that emits no pleasant sound. (S. Charnock.)

Smoking flax

Though He walk in the way where bruised reeds lie, He will step over them, and not break them more; He will not tread upon a little smoking flax that lies languishing upon the ground, and so put it out with His foot, though it hurts the eyes with its smoke, and offends the nostrils with its stench. (Maldonatus.)

Security in abundant grace

The sun is not able to dry up a drop of sea-water that lies in the midst of the sand, which the sea every minute rolls upon and preserves; neither can the flesh the least grace, while the fulness of Christ flows out upon it to supply it. (S. Charnock.)

Special care of the weak ones

As the sickly, faint child, hardly able to go, and not the strong one, is the object of the father’s pity, the weaker thy faith, which lies mixed with a world of strong corruptions, the more will Christ be affected with thy case, and pity that grace of His own which suffers under them. (S. Charnock.)

Safety in being like Christ

Well, then, will Christ suffer one to perish who hath the same nature, spirit, and mind which He Himself hath? Will He endure that His own picture, limned by the art of His Spirit, with the colours of His own blood, in so near a resemblance to Him, that He hath not His image again in anything in the world besides it; and this drawn for His own glory, that He might be a head among many brethren; will He suffer so excellent a piece as this to be torn in pieces, in contempt of Him, either by flesh or devils? (S. Charnock.)

Grace never blown quite out

Grace can never be so blown out, but there will be some smoke, some spark, whereby it may be rekindled. The smoking snuff of Peter’s grace was lighted again by a sudden look of his Master. (S. Charnock.)

Surprise at safety of Divine life in souls

To see a rich jewel in a child’s hand, with a troop of thieves about him snatching at it, and yet not able to plunder, would raise an astonishment both in the actors and spectators, and make them conclude an invisible strength that protects the child, and defeats the invaders. (S. Charnock.)

Weak grace, weak glory

Though weak grace will carry a man to heaven, it will be just as a small and weak vessel surprised by a shattering storm, which, though it may get to the shore, yet with excessive hardships anti fears; such will sail through a stormy sea, and have a daily contest with stormy doubts, ready to overset their hopes; whereas a stout ship, well rigged, will play with the waves in the midst of a tempest, and at last pass through all difficulties, without many fears, into its haven. (S. Charnock.)

Weak Christians

Weak Christians are like glasses which are hurt with the least violent usage, otherwise, if gently handled, will continue a long time. (Sibbes.)

Good in seeming evils

Some things, though bad in themselves, yet discover some good, as smoke discovers some fire. Breaking out in the body shows strength of nature. Some infirmities discover more good than some seeming beautiful actions. Better it is that the water should run something muddily than not at all. Job had more grace in his distempers than his friends in their seeming wise carriage. (Sibbes.)