“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory” (Matthew 12.20.)
Introduction. Babbling fame favors persons cast in a rough mold. Some she extols, exalts, and almost deifies. Others, whose virtues are greater, she is silent about. Fame loves Luther because he manfully defied the Pope of Rome. But you do not hear of the gentle-minded Melancthon, who maybe did as much for the Reformation as mighty Luther. No one says much about Jesus except his followers. He did not come to conquer, but to melt the rocky heart with ‘a still small voice.’
(1) Mortal Frailty. Excuse my fancy. But I say that the bruised reed is the convicted sinner, plowed up by the Holy Spirit. And the smoking flax is the backsliding Christian. By neglect of gracious means, and falling into sin, and the Spirit’s withdrawal, a burning light becomes a dim lamp. However, I shall treat these two metaphors together. First, our text applies to weak ones. The howling wind makes the bruised reed shake to and fro. God has his mighty Gideons. But the majority of his people are weak. They fall into temptation; they cannot sing nor pray. You are weak, are you? Blessed be God, this text is for you then. We have some persons here who boast of goodness, purity, and might. Take heed, moral man, when temptation comes, down you will go. Second, the text applies to worthless things. Can a man lean upon a bruised reed? Ah! no; it is of no service. Can the midnight traveler be lighted by the smoking flax? It is of no use. Ah! that is how you talk of yourselves. You cannot tell how Christ values you. You mothers who keep house and train children up in the Lord, you are doing as much for his name as the eloquent Apollos by his preaching. Jesus has something for the worthless ones. This is not to excuse lazy ones, those that can do but don’t. There is a whip for the ass, and they must have it sometimes. The text applies to offensive things. If the Spirit has humbled you, you are as offensive to your own souls and to God as the bruised reed would be among the pipes of Pan. I can imagine a man here, trembling that his crime will be divulged to heaven. Despair not! Jesus will not break the bruised reed. The bruised reed may yet be of some service. By divine workmanship it becomes of wondrous value. Christ will take the bruised reed and fit it in the pipes of heaven. We shall ask, ‘What was that sweet note heard there?’ One will answer, ‘It was a bruised reed.’
(2) Divine Compassion. Here is a poor bruised reed, a poor child of God under a sense of sin. You will not be driven to despair, but made to go to Jesus’ feet. If I were an Arminian, I would say that God will quench the backslider. Just go back to God, he will not put you out; Jesus Christ will be cautious to fan your tiny spark into a flame that will blaze up toward heaven. Saints who are bruised reeds and smoking flax are just as safe as those who are mighty for their Master. They are just as chosen, equally redeemed, purchased with as much precious blood, as much the children of God, and completely justified. Christ will not have any of his members taken away. He would be incomplete without his church. Looking at second causes, the salvation of great saints depends on saints unknown to our newspapers, bruised reeds and smoking flax.
(3) Certain Victory. An earthly victory will cheer a dying warrior. Each feeble saint shall win the day. “They shall come with singing into Sion; as well the blind, and lame, and halt.”
Selection from Conclusion. “Weak as thou art, God will temper the trial of thy weakness; he will make thy pain less, if thy strength be less; but thou shalt sing in heaven, “Victory, victory, victory!”
No comments:
Post a Comment