Have you watched the television programme on BBC1 entitled, 'The Repair Shop'? The programme features the work of skilled craftsmen who lovingly and carefully repair broken and damaged heirlooms brought in by members of the public. I have not watched the programme very often and sometimes I find it a bit cheesy and I know that some Facebook friends have mocked the presenter and have suggested that the show is phoney. But apart from all that, I often feel that the effort and the cost involved in repairing the clock or the old toy is not worth it. However, the owners of the items clearly value the item and they are delighted with the transformation. They usually have a sentimental attachment to the worn or damaged heirloom and they are given the chance to tell a bit of the story behind the piece of furniture, or jewellery or piece of machinery or whatever. Often the affection they hold for the item is linked to someone (a friend or a relative) who has passed on.
If I was asked for my favourite verse in the Bible, I would find it difficult to choose from the range of verses which have spoken to me in my lifetime. But there is one verse which I have found especially comforting and encouraging.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. [Isiah 42:3 NIV]
The chapter begins with a command or an instruction: "Behold my servant!" This is speaking about Jesus but not in the context in which we often think about Him. He is not a baby in Mary's arms nor is He healing the sick in the area around the Sea of Galilee. He is not teaching the crowd who followed Him. But He is dispensing justice to the nations. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - although that title is not used in this chapter. And we are told that He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard on the street. He will be different from the politicians of our generation who want everyone to see them or to hear them.
But I want to focus on Jesus as the one who repairs the damaged or broken individuals. The imagery of the 'bruised reed' and the dimly burning flax or wick is old fashioned and the meaning might be lost in our 21st century Western world. Reeds were very useful in Bible times and they could be used for a variety of purposes including making baskets. The image is of a reed which is damaged and might appear worthless. It is like that old teddy bear which someone might have brought into the Repair Shop. It should be thrown into the bin and discarded. It is worthless and it makes no economic sense to hold on to it. I am glad that Jesus does not think like that. I feel particularly worthless as I am writing this blog and so I am so relieved that my Saviour is not tempted to throw me into the landfill site. He sees value in me when I sometimes struggle to find any. He lovingly and skilfully repairs the damage and heals the bruises.
Jesus has His own repair shop - at the cross of Calvary. He was bruised there so that he could heal our bruises. He was wounded there so that he could heal our wounds. I am reminded of an old hymn I used to sing,
To Calvary, Lord, in spirit now
Our weary souls repair [Pardon the pun!]
To dwell upon Thy dying love,
And taste the sweetness there.
Sweet resting-place of every heart
That feels the plague of sin,
Yet knows the deep mysterious joy
Of peace with God within.
O Lamb of God! Thy bleeding wounds,
With cords of love divine,
Have drawn our willing hearts to Thee,
And linked our life with Thine.
What about the other image - the dimly burning flax wick? We need to imagine a home before the days of electricity and the only light in the darkness is from a small oil lamp and it is not burning very brightly. They used flax thread as wicks and this flax is not producing much light. The temptation is to discard it - to snuff it out. Its light is so poor that it is simply wasting precious oil. This is not how Jesus sees our witness. He knows that our light is dim but he breaths His spirit into us to make us shine brighter and to become a stronger witness to others.
I think of another TV programme called The Apprentice where Alan Sugar points to the individual who has failed his test and announces unceremoniously, "You're fired." Basically he cannot see himself making any money from investing in this person. Most of the contestants seem to have inflated egos and appear to accept this condemnation gracefully. But Alan Sugar typifies our world where items are disposable and end up discarded on landfill sites. And people are seen as commodities too. Many employees find themselves redundant after thirty years of loyal service because that is the nature of our society. It is all about efficiency - a very cold and callous word. God's perfect Servant, our Lord Jesus is so different. He values us as individuals and He sees value in us when nobody else sees it. He appreciates us and loves us when we feel unloved and we are ashamed of our weakness and lack of witness.
God did not discard David when he sinned so badly. Jesus did not discard Peter even though he denied Him three times in His hour of crisis. He will not discard you, dear child of God. What a great God we have. I want to finish by quoting another verse from Isaiah which is quoted in Luke chapter 4.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [Isaiah 61:1 NIV]
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