A Bruised Reed

If Christianity is a true religion, there should be some telltale signs. One of those signs should be that it's not ... quite ... human. Or, more to the point, it's something beyond human. That is, if this is the truth from God, then it must be from God, not merely from Man. And, if you look very far, you'll find that it is just that.

You'll find that we are not saved by works ... but works are not unimportant. You'll find that we are to work out our salvation ... because it is God who gives us the ability and will to do so. And this passage is one of those remarkable contrasts.

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one 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 raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice" (Isa 42:1-3).

You remember this God. He's the one who says that the man who lies with a man is an abomination. He's the one who says that those caught in adultery were to be stoned at the gates. This Jesus we all know and love is the one that speaks more of eternal torment than eternal bliss. And then we read this passage. "A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish."

There are times in which Christianity can seem like a harsh task master. "Do this! Don't do that! Watch out! There are harsh penalties for failure!" But, of course, those are aimed not at the bruised reeds. They are aimed at the "stiff-necked". They are not aimed at the repentant, but the hard-hearted. To those of you who can barely stand in the face of who you are and who Christ is, "A bruised reed He will not break." Those difficult warnings aren't aimed at those of you who with barely lit lamps. They're not about you who know that you just don't have what it takes to change the world with the message of the Gospel, but you'll do whatever you can in all your weakness. "A dimly burning wick He will not extinguish."

It is these kinds of apparent contradictions that tell me that Christianity is not a human religion, but a God thing. Now I just need to be careful myself not to break the bruised reeds or extinguish the dimly burning wicks.