A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth. (Isa. 42:3)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor... to set at liberty them that are bruised. (Luke 4 : 18)
I like to think of the first passage as referring to the gentle loving-kindness that Jesus expressed. The metaphors of the bruised reed and smoking flax illustrate the love that refuses to see anyone as useless, used up, or worthy of being discarded. The bruised reed might be a piece of grass, perhaps bent over by a passing person or animal. The smoking flax I thought of as a dimly burning wick in a candle. Jesus wouldn't have trampled further on a "bruised reed" to break it. Nor would his hand have snuffed out something with promise. Instead, it was always extended to heal and restore. Jesus saw all of creation as whole and perfect. It was this perception that healed.
