Chapter 1: The Reed and the Bruising
The reference text for Sibbes’s book, and this introductory chapter is Matt 12:18-20, which cites Isaiah 42:1-3. These text are given below:
Matt 12:18-20
Text Comparison for Matt 12:18-21
Isaiah 42:1-3
Selections from Sibbes’s Text (Bruised Reed)
There are four Sections in Sibbes Ch 1 as given below.
1.1 Christ’s Calling
God calls him here his servant. Christ was God’s servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was, a chosen and a choice servant who did and suffered all by commission from the Father. In this we may see the sweet love of God toward us, in that he counts the work of our salvation by Christ his greatest service, and in that he will put his only beloved Son to that service. He might well prefix it with “Behold” to raise up our thoughts to the highest pitch of attention and admiration. In time of temptation, apprehensive consciences look so much to the present trouble they are in, that they need to be roused up to behold the one in whom they may find rest for their distressed souls. In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but Christ, the true brazen serpent, the true “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”, (John 1:29). This saving object has a special influence of comfort to the soul, especially if we look not only on Christ, but upon the Father’s authority and love in him. For in all that Christ did and suffered as Mediator, we must see God in him reconciling the world to himself (2Cor. 5:19).
What a support to our faith this is, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort this is, that seeing God’s love rests on Christ as well pleased in him, we may conclude that he is as well-pleased with us if we are in Christ! For his love rests in a whole Christ, in the mystical Christ, as well as in the natural Christ, because he loves him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him embrace God’s love, and build our faith safely on a Savior who is furnished with so high a commission.
See here, for our comfort, a sweet agreement of all three persons: the Father gives a commission to Christ; the Spirit furnishes and sanctifies it, and Christ himself executes the office of a Mediator. Our redemption is founded upon the joint agreement of all three persons of the Trinity.
Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes, Ch 1, “Christ’s Calling”
Christ’s Calling: To Save Sinners by Becoming The Substitute
Sibbes cites 2 Cor 5:18-19. Below is a text comparison of the context of 2 Cor 5:18-21 showing the ESV, NKJV, NASB95, and YLT (Young’s Literal Translation) translations.
| ESV | NKJV | NASB95 | YLT |
| 2 Co 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; | 2 Co 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, | 2 Co 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, | 2 Co 5:18 And the all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and did give to us the ministration of the reconciliation, |
| 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. | 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. | 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. | 19 how that God was in Christ—a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word of the reconciliation, |
| 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. | 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. | 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. | 20 in behalf of Christ, then, we are ambassadors, as if God were calling through us, we beseech, in behalf of Christ, ‘Be ye reconciled to God;’ |
| 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | 21 for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him. |
There are three essential concepts in the above passage from 2 Cor 5:
- Reconciliation: Strong’s G2644 καταλλάσσω katallássō “Used of the divine work of redemption denoting that act of redemption insofar as God Himself is concerned by taking upon Himself our sin and becoming an atonement. Thus a relationship of peace with mankind is established which was hitherto prevented by the demands of His justice.” Zodhiates, S. (2000)
- Ministry / Word / Message / Ambassadors of Reconciliation: (5:18 MINISTER) G1248 διακονία diakonía; diákonos (1249), deacon, servant. Service, attendance, ministry. Verb, diakonéō (1247), to minister, serve. (5:19 WORD / MESSAGE) G3056 λόγος lógos; from légō (3004), to speak intelligently. Intelligence, word as the expression of that intelligence, discourse, saying, thing. Word, both the act of speaking and the thing spoken. (5:20 AMBASSADOR) G4243 πρεσβεύω presbeúō; an aged person, elder, also an ambassador. To be aged, elderly. In the NT, to be or act as an ambassador. Intrans. (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20)
- Imputation: “He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ) to be sin…that in Him (Christ) we might become the righteousness of God” (5:21 MADE) G4160 ποιέω poiéō. To make, do, expressing action either as completed or continued. To make, form, produce, bring about, cause, spoken of any external act as manifested in the production of something tangible, corporeal, obvious to the senses, completed action. BECOME G1096 γίνομαι gínomai; primarily meaning to begin to be, that is, to come into existence or into any state; To begin to be, to come into existence as implying origin (either from natural causes or through special agencies), result, change of state, place.
1.2 How Christ Pursues His Calling
We see, therefore, that the condition of those with whom he was to deal was that they were bruised reeds and smoking flax; not trees, but reeds; and not whole, but bruised reeds. The church is compared to weak things: to a dove among the fowls; to a vine among the plants; to sheep among the beasts; to a woman, which is the weaker vessel.
God’s children are bruised reeds before their conversion and oftentimes after. Before conversion all (except those who, being brought up in the church, God has delighted to show himself gracious to from their childhood) are bruised reeds, yet in different degrees, as God sees fit. And as there are differences with regard to temperament, gifts and manner of life, so there are in God’s intention to use men in the time to come; for usually he empties them of themselves, and makes them nothing, before he will use them in any great services.
Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes, Ch 1, “How Christ Pursues His Calling”
Thoughts for Discussion
What Biblical examples are there of “weak things” (including people) that God “makes them nothing, before He will use them in any great services” (purposes)?
- Moses
- David (shepherd and sinner)
- The Apostles (as a group of ‘learners,’ disciples)
- Those calling for Barabbas instead of Jesus to be released
- Apostle Paul and his persecution of Believers in Christ
1.3 What It Is To Be Bruised
The bruised reed is a man who for the most part is in some misery, just as those were who came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as its cause, for, whatever pretences sin makes, they come to an end when we are bruised and broken….seeing no help in himself, he is carried with restless desire to have supplies from another, with some hope…This spark of hope being opposed by doubts and fears rising from his corruption makes him like smoking flax; so that both these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor distressed man. This is such a person as our Savior Christ terms “poor in spirit”,,,This spark of hope being opposed by doubts and fears rising from his corruption makes him like smoking flax; so that both these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor distressed man. This is such a person as our Savior Christ terms “poor in spirit”…He has no means of supply from himself or the creature, and thereupon he mourns…
Ibid.
This clearly calls to mind the important beginning of The Sermon on the Mount:
| ESV | NKJV | NASB95 | YLT |
| Mt 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. | Mt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. | Mt 5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. | Mt 5:1 And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him, |
| 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: | 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: | 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, | 2 and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying: |
| 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | 3 ‘Happy the poor in spirit—because theirs is the reign of the heavens. |
| 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. | 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. | 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. | 4 ‘Happy the mourning—because they shall be comforted. |
| 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. | 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. | 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. | 5 ‘Happy the meek—because they shall inherit the land. |
| 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. | 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | 6 ‘Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness—because they shall be filled. |
The opening of the four “beatitudes” (Gr makarios, commonly translated “blessed“) are our innate response to grasping the reality of a Holy, Righteous God in the face of our own natural condition, e.g: poor, mourn, meek, hunger / thirst. All of these responses are the opposite of the pride of delusion regarding one’s law-keeping (as was the case with the Pharisees, et. al) and for that reason are “markarios,” great blessings in the context of opposites.
1.4 The Effects of Bruising
This bruising is required before conversion so that the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and so that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature.
Ibid.
This bruising is required before conversion so that the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and so that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature.
Ibid.
After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, because of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too discouraged when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised…Hence we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgment upon ourselves or others when God exercises us with bruising upon bruising.
Ibid.
The Connection of Bruising to Humility
As we see in the Sermon on the Mount, the one hearing Christ is poor, who mourns, etc., which inner spirit mirrors the root idea of “bruised reed.” And, so, all the Scriptural texts relating to humility, which includes, for instance, the phrase “Fear of the Lord,” are relevant to our subject of “bruised reed” and “smoking flax.”
In a parallel sense, other Christian authors who address the subject of Biblical humility are echoing in some way these twin texts in Isaiah and Matthew that we are here considering and as expounded by Sibbes.
Jerry Bridges and The Practice of Godliness
One such writing that addresses the subject of humility is a book by the late Jerry Bridges entitled The Practice of Godliness. His first chapter of multiple chapters on “God-like character” (Chapter 6) is “Humility.”
Supporting scripture that he cites includes: Is 57:15ff, Is 66:1-2, Phil. 2:8, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6, Lu 18:15. And examples of individuals who in the Biblical record encountered in some deeper way the very presence of God fell down in humility were: Moses, Ezekiel, John (the Apostle in Revelation), and the four living creatures and 24 elders in heaven (in Revelation).
Several quotes from Bridges’s book are below:
Humility opens the way to all other godly traits. It is the soil in which other traits of the fruit of the spirit grow.
Bridges, The Practice of Godliness, p. 69.
Humility in every area of life, and every relationship with other people, begins with the right concept of God as the One who is infinite and eternal in His majesty and holiness.
Ibid., p.69.
As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, decision judgment upon our character and conduct. We must treat the Scriptures not only as a source of knowledge about God but also as the expression of His will for a daily lives. As someone has said, “the Bible was not given just to increase our knowledge, but the guide our conduct.“
Ibid., p. 71
The contrast appointed by the Savior is not that between “educated“ and “non-educated” but between those who imagine themselves to be wise and sensible–and those who live under the profound impression that by their own insight in their own reasonings they are utterly powerless to understand the truth of God and to accept them.
Ibid., p.72, quoting Norvel Geldenhuys
Humility with regard to ourselves, then, consists of ascribing all that we are, although we have, and all that we have accomplished to the God who gives us grace.
Ibid., p. 75