No Broken Reeds

“He won’t break a bruised reed.  He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.”
Matthew 12:20 (World English Bible)

Jesus is our great example of the heart of God.  Through him we see the love of God displayed.  And what God wants is for us to operate out of love, rather than obligation, and live as Jesus would in our stead and, indeed, wants to do through us.

A bruise is a small outward display hiding what would be a large inner trauma.  Because of that inner trauma, a small extra shock could mean that the reed would be broken, although currently not looking weak!

To give an example—a lady who calms an irascible child with kind words and a gentle touch and soothes the wounded heart inside so that it is not broken, is displaying that love which Jesus epitomises.  When she sits down with the child and draws out the underlying problem and helps work through a solution, she again shows the love of Jesus, who healed everyone who came to him for comfort and shalom.

We can all follow Jesus’ example and be a calm and comforting outpost of God’s love to ensure that the people we are in contact with are helped and left more whole individuals.

No bruised reed would be broken when we think and act according to the saying, “What would Jesus do?!”

Prayer
Loving Father, as we walk alongside other people of the world that your son died for, help us to love them as He loves us.
Amen

Study by Atlee Brathwaite

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About the Author:
Atlee Brathwaite is a Deacon the North London congregation of the Worldwide Church of God UK.

Local Congregation:
Worldwide Church of God London
Indian YMCA
Mahatma Gandhi Hall
41 Fitzroy Square
LONDON
W1T 6AQ

Meeting time:
Saturday 2:30pm

Local Congregational Contact:
Martin Ryan
Phone:  020 8202 3998
Email:   martin_ryan@wcg.org.uk