September 17, 2020

The Bruised Reed

One of the things I most enjoyed as I began high school was the opportunity to learn how to play a clarinet. These many years later, I remember that enjoyment although I remember little else except the care I gave to the reeds I used. I knew then, and I still know, that the reed I was using had a huge effect on the sound that was produced, and I learned to both adapt to the reed I was using and to protect it. In the Old Testament, Isaiah speaks of the Savior, God had promised to send, and he speaks of the compassion Christ will have, a sustaining grace for the one who is burdened or overwhelmed by life. In high school, when a reed no longer produced an appropriate sound or it was damaged in some way, it was thrown away. God doesn’t do that. There are many types of reeds in nature, and not all of them can be used to make a musical instrument. There are other uses for reeds as well, but the reed itself can be fragile and easily bruised. Many reeds are just wasted, plucked down in their brokenness, and thrown away. In the New Testament, as Jesus ministered among the people, Matthew reminds us of what Isaiah said. Jesus called to the weary and the burdened and encouraged them, “Come to me, all of you, and I will give you rest.” And it wasn’t just a physical rest Jesus offered, but a rest that reached down into the deepest recesses of a person. A rest that brought relationship with God, and a rest that gave worth and purpose as well as comfort, encouragement, and enablement. A “bruised reed” has suffered an injury and in life, many are “bruised” by the injuries of loss, the injustices of life, the harshness of life, the bitterness and abrasiveness of both others and circumstances, and it is difficult to produce a “sound” that is appreciated, harmonious, and pleasing to the ears of others. A healthy reed can produce a sound that is rich with tonal quality, warm, bright, or mellow, depending on the instrument. The “bruised reeds” Christ longs to lovingly care for find themselves incapable of doing much more than existing one day at a time, fighting for survival, often confused or in despair. Jesus promises He will not “break” such a life, or toss it away. God knows the potential He has instilled in each individual He has created, and He is capable of bringing that potential to a fullness we may not dare to imagine. We may feel bruised and damaged, and we may be, but God still offers Himself. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. He has spoken, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. The bruised reed, I will not break.” – Bev (Related Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 4:8,9; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 42:3)