Matthew 12 Devotional

Gentle with the Nearly Broken

“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.”Matthew 12:20 (BSB)

Opposition to Jesus turns serious in Matthew 12. The Pharisees accuse his hungry disciples of breaking the Sabbath, and Jesus answers that someone greater than the temple has come and that he himself is Lord over the Sabbath (12:6, 12:8). In a synagogue he restores a man's withered hand, and the Pharisees leave to plot his death (12:13-14).

Matthew pauses to show what kind of Lord this is. Jesus withdraws, heals everyone who follows him, and tells them to keep quiet about him (12:15-16). Matthew hears in this Isaiah's picture of God's chosen Servant, the beloved one on whom the Spirit rests (12:18). He does not quarrel or shout. He will not snap a damaged reed or put out a wick that is barely smoking, and he will keep going until justice wins (12:19-20). The same chapter holds some of Jesus' sternest warnings (12:31-37). Yet his strength is not spent crushing the weak. You can come to him frail and flickering, and trust him to keep that small flame from going out.

To think about: Where do you feel most bruised or worn thin right now, and how does Jesus' gentleness invite you to come to him there?