Don't Break A Bruised Reed.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Pax domini brethren...
Something i lack horribly for a while now is to tread the earth lightly,to understand all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In that we are all bruised reeds to some degree or another and break relatively easily. I was meditating on when jesus says 'If this is what they do to the wet wood,what than will they do to the dry wood." Obviously dry wood breaks alot easier than wet wood,wet wood bends alot more before it breaks,but this short simple one line parable of our LORD Jesus on examination has led me to believe he is re-iterating the parable in the old testament of "Don't break a bruised reed." Has anyone another take on this?

GOD bless you all.
Onward christian souls.
JESUS is LORD

JC "be baptised and believe and you will be saved." "knock and the door will be opened." "seek and you will find."

St Paul "all scripture is usefull."

[BarbTherese]

[size=4][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]"16 And he charged them that they should not make him known.[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]17 That the word might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias, the prophet, saying:[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]18 *Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul hath been well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]19 He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.[/font]
[b][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]20 The bruised reed he shall not break: and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory.[/font][/b]
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]21 And in his name the Gentiles shall hope.[/font]
"Matthew Ch12

[u][b]Haydock's commentary[/b][/u]:
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Ver. 20.[/font][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif] [i]The bruised reed.[/i] The prophet here shews the mildness of our Saviour, who, though he could have broken them like a reed, and as a bruised reed, yet would not do it; and though he could have easily extinguished their rage and anger, yet he bore with it for a while, with singular clemency, till he should send forth [i]judgment unto victory,[/i] i.e. till justice shall have appeared triumphant, till Christ shall have fulfilled all things, and raised his most illustrious trophy: till the Gentiles shall have placed their confidence in his most adorable name, and the Jews have no plea, notwithstanding their unparalleled obduracy, to make in reply. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xli). --- [i]Judgment unto victory.[/i] St. Jerome and St. Hilary expound these words in conformity with their interpretation of the two foregoing verses, as follows: "The Lord will cherish and support the infirm and weak in this time of penance and probation, inviting them to greater strength, and light, and perfect charity, till the power of death be taken away, till he return to judge the world, when his judgment shall be victorious; though, in the mean while, it often may appear suppressed, and even subdued by the obstinate will of man." But the exposition, most conformable to the literal sense of the prophet, is: he will support the weak by his mildness, until it come to pass that his judgment, which he came to announce to the Gentiles, be led to victory, by his truth becoming universally triumphant over the world, and in his name all nations shall hope. (Jansenius). --- Thus will he bear with the little light and virtue of his enemies, till the bright light of his faith, and the warmth and strength of his grace, obtain in their hearts, and triumph over every opposition. (Haydock)[/font][/size]


[size=4][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]My comments: For me, it is indicative of The Lord's Loving Mercy to those that are weak and falter - and this is probably all of us somewhere or other. It is also an invitation to be gentle and kind to the weak and those that falter, after all - if our Saviour is thus, thus should we be who are Baptized and called to follow in His Footsteps.[/font][/size]

Edited April 26, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

i see that verse you got there, but maybe there is anotherone in proverbs or something that i was thinking of, if not than obviously the passage you have shown is a prophecy about the coming of the LORD.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1335428018' post='2423532']
i see that verse you got there, but maybe there is anotherone in proverbs or something that i was thinking of, if not than obviously the passage you have shown is a prophecy about the coming of the LORD.
[/quote]

I think the one about the bruised reed etc. from Matthew is about what is to happen before the Second Coming. The quotation which Jesus is speaking comes from Isaias Ch 43:
[quote]
[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=27&ch=42&l=1#x"][1][/url] Behold [u]my servant[/u], I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=27&ch=42&l=2#x"][2][/url] He shall not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad. [b][url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=27&ch=42&l=3#x"][3][/url] The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.[/b] [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=27&ch=42&l=4#x"][4][/url] He shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=27&ch=42&l=5#x"][5][/url] Thus saith the Lord God that created the heavens, and stretched them out: that established the earth, and the things that spring out of it: that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that tread thereon. [/quote]

The quotation about the wet and dry wood comes from Luke 23 when Jesus is crucified. He is speaking to the women of Jerusalem weeping over him and referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. If they crucify Him (Jesus) who is innocent, what will they do to those who are guilty (the slaughter in the destruction of Jerusalem). The wet wood signifies Jesus and the dry wood signifies those in Jerusalem at the time of its destruction in 70AD by the Romans.

[quote]
[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=23&l=28#x"][28][/url] But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=23&l=29#x"][29][/url] For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given smell of elderberries. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=23&l=30#x"][30][/url] Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us.
[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=23&l=31#x"][31][/url] For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=23&l=32#x"][32][/url] And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. [/quote]


This is what Haydock's Commentary had to say about the above passage:

[quote[b]][/b]
[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3]Ver. 28.[/size][/font][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3] [i]Weep not over me.[/i] If you knew the evils that threaten and must soon fall upon your city, upon yourselves, and upon your children, you would preserve your tears to deplore your own misfortunes. My death is for the good of mankind; but it will be fatal to your nation because you have been pleased to make it so. In the ruin of Jerusalem, which is at hand, happy shall they be who have no children. They shall save themselves the grief of seeing their sons and daughters perish miserably, and in some sort of suffering as many deaths as they have children to die. (Calmet)[/size][/font]
[b][font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3]Ver. 31.[/size][/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3][i]In the green wood:[/i] by which are signified persons of virtue and sanctity; as by the [i]dry wood,[/i] the wicked, who bring forth no fruit, and who, like dry wood, are fit to be cast into the fire. (Witham) --- If they be thus cruel with me, how will they treat you [/quote][/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3]I was watching a documentary the other night and scripture scholars feel that the reason some statements in the New Testament seem to blame the Jewish people for the crucifixion of Jesus is because the authors were writing to their various Christian communities and also trying to convey to the Romans that they did not blame them for the death of Jesus - well, at least to not outright state that they were to blame and trying to win some points from the Romans at a time of persecution of the Christian communities - hence the authors implied that they blamed the Jewish people, not the Romans for Jesus's death. An interesting theory and unproven theory only - speculation of scripture scholars.[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3]I am sorry that the formatting comes out so crazy - it is eithermy computer or the softwear on Phatmass. That is, insofar as I am aware it is not my doings. May be wrong![/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif][size=3]You will find Haydocks Bible Commentary an excellent explanation of Scripture in most instances (in that not all passages have a commentary - most times, they do I have found). Haydocks is a quite reputable Catholic Bible Commentary if a very old one and at times quite harsh commentary in relation to the crucifixion of Jesus and the Jews.... see [url="http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id1.html"]http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id1.html[/url][/size][/font]

[BarbTherese]

Rather than try to edit, which can be a disaster for me either again, my computer or the phatmass softwear.
Scripture can have a very personal message also, and undoubtedly the smoking flax and bruised reed is often received as about being merciful. The wet wood and the dry wood, as you have commented and I receive it the same way, is that the virtuous do not break easily, while those lacking virtue are brittle and break with ease. In other words, the virtuous can withstand temptation very often and very often strong temptation, while those lacking in virtue give into temptation and break easily. For me, the dry wood can be compared to a smoking flax and/or a bruised reed needing mercy and forgiveness, understanding and gentleness.
Scripture is inspired by The Holy Spirit and at the one and the same time can speak to (has a message for or about) the past, present, future and also very personally.

Edited April 26, 2012 by BarbaraTherese