Before the days of string-line trimmers, people used sickles or brush-hooks to cut weeds. I remember cutting tall, spindly, and tough Johnson grass with a brush-hook during my college years. Needless to say, I developed a hatred for Johnson grass that day.
Every time I read this section of Isaiah, I think back to that hot summer day and my battle with Johnson grass.
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
Some people are like Johnson grass. We wonder if they have any value at all and won’t miss them when they’re gone.
Jesus has a different perspective. They may be “bruised reeds”—broken, bent-over Johnson grass—but He refuses to break them all the way off.
In the ancient world, olive oil was placed in a bowl, and a piece of cloth soaked up the oil, was lit, and produced light in a dark room. Even when the lamp was nearly at the point of extinction, God’s servant valued the wick.
The world is filled with “dimly burning wicks” who are easily overlooked. The aged, infirm, disabled, marginalized, and many in third-world nations are not valued as the “best and brightest.”
Not only does Jesus keep their wick burning, He actively and faithfully delivers justice to those who live in an unjust world.
As you read through the Gospels, look at all the ways Jesus demonstrates how much God cares for the “bruised reeds” and “dimly burning wicks” of humanity. Below are just four of nearly thirty examples:
- The Paralytic Man (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26) – Jesus forgave his sins and healed his body.
- The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1-11) – She faced stoning but found forgiveness through Jesus.
- Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19) – Lepers were the ultimate outcasts. He healed these men and many other lepers in His day.
- The Gadarene Demoniac (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39) – This man terrorized an entire region. Jesus set him free from demons and sent him as the first missionary to the Decapolis.
A Light to the Nations
Mark 10 gives the account of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who was healed by Jesus (Mark 10:46-52).
Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way (Mark 10:52).
When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, his life was transformed from sitting in poverty by the side of the road to following Jesus. The next stop on Jesus’ journey was Jerusalem and the Triumphal Entry.
I believe Bartimaeus was part of the procession in Jerusalem. I also think he witnessed the crucifixion and was among the five hundred who witnessed the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6).
I wouldn’t be surprised if Bartimaeus’s heart sang when he read this prophecy from Isaiah:
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6-7)
The blind man in Jericho was one among millions of “bruised reeds” and “dimly burning wicks” who found sight, freedom, and purpose for life through Jesus.
Today, we join together to praise the magnificent character of God who loves the world in this grand fashion.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 