Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1147
“He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He sends forth judgment unto victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.” Matthew 12:19,20,21.
EVERY single fragment of Scripture is precious. Short texts culled here and there, as subjects of meditation, are useful. At the same time the practice of discoursing upon disconnected extracts may be carried too far, and sometimes the meaning of a passage may be entirely lost by not regarding its connection. The Bible ought to be treated in the reading of it as any other book is treated, only with much more of reverential regard. Suppose that Milton’s “Paradise Lost” were used as a textbook—and that its general mode of usage were to take separate lines disconnected from the rest of the great poem—and consider them as positive statements and suitable topics of meditation?
It would be a dangerous experiment! The great poet might well stir in his grave at the proposal. There are grand lines in that matchless epic which would bear the process, and glow like diamonds upon a regal brow, but nobody would form any worthy idea of the glory of the “Paradise Lost” by having it presented in portions, lines and selected passages. Such a mode of study reminds me of the Grecian student, who, when he had a house to sell, carried a brick about the streets to show what kind of a house it was.
The Bible ought not to be torn limb from limb and its joints hung up like meat in the shambles. Beyond all other books it will bear dissection, for it is vital in every sentence and word. Since it is a mosaic of priceless gems, you will be enriched even if you extract a jewel here and there—but to behold its Divine beauty you must contemplate the mosaic as a whole. No idea of the magnificent design of the entire Scriptures can enter the human mind by reading it in detached portions, especially if those separated passages are interpreted without reference to the run of the writer’s thoughts. Let Scripture be read according to the rules of common sense and that will necessitate our reading through a book and following its train of thought.
Thus shall we be likely to arrive at the mind of the Holy Spirit. I say this because I may have to disturb your idea of the meaning of a passage of Scripture, this morning, for a short time, but you need not be alarmed, for after I have disturbed, I shall, most probably, confirm it. I shall pull down to build up again! The main force of our sermon will be spent over the well-known words, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory.” We have all our own opinion of the meaning of this verse. We rejoice that the Lord Jesus will deal tenderly with the weak and the gentle in heart, in Grace. And we are thankful that the text appears to us to express that consoling Truth of God.
Now we admit that the verse does teach us that. Does it teach us that directly and mainly? I think not. Read the connection and judge for yourselves. The Pharisees endeavored to discover faults in the Lord Jesus, but they could find nothing against Him except in reference to His disregard of their notions of the Sabbath. They blamed the disciples for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath and the Lord, Himself, for performing a miracle of healing on that day. Our Lord met them boldly and so utterly routed them that one almost pities them, while rejoicing over their ignominious defeat! They were beaten outright and covered with shame. Our Lord overwhelmed them with five arguments, any one of which completely swept the ground from under their feet.
As, for instance, that question, “What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much, then, is a man better than a sheep?” Our Lord’s victory was complete and tended very much to weaken their authority. But He did not push His advantage so as to overturn the sway of these religious teachers—they were before Him as lamps so nearly blown out that nothing but a
smoldering smoke remained. He did not proceed to quench them. In argument He had proved their folly and had crumpled them up till they were like so many bruised bulrushes—but there He paused.
He did not pursue the conflict further, but retired to Galilee, into the lone places and rural districts of the country, and preached the Gospel. Lest a popular controversy and public tumult should arise, every time He worked a miracle He bade the healed one conceal the fact in order that it might be fulfilled, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He sends forth judgment unto victory.” And here let me ask, Do not the last words of this passage imply that the smoking flax will be quenched and the bruised reeds will be broken when He shall “send forth judgment unto victory”?