Day 20- 40 Days of Prayer Gentleness In my father’s garage were many containers, large and small, jars with all kinds of screws, nuts and bolts. Wherever he would find one of them he would carefully lift it up, dust it off and put it in one of those jars. And this was not all, many other things you could find around in the garage, things like pieces of wire or rope, different lengths, and even bent nails that could still be straightened. But every time he had to fix something, he would find the right component in there. All I could see was a bunch of rusty and old stuff that nobody wanted, but what he saw was residual value, something that could be used again. I am sure many of you could relate to this, maybe you are one of those people who do the same thing, saving anything that could be reused. Many people were doing this same thing back in the days when things were not in abundance. But then, things have changed, industrialization took place of the manual labor, and there was an increase of goods. People stopped looking at the intrinsic value of things and started looking at the replacement value. In other words, it became cheaper to replace many things than to fix it or reuse it. In Isaiah 42:1-4, the inspired writer uses a similar image when describing the future “servant of the Lord”, referring to Jesus Christ. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” “A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” – this is the author’s way of saying that Messiah will be a collector of screws and bent nails. Who cares for a bruised reed? Even if one makes a living weaving baskets, she doesn’t have second thoughts on a bruised reed, she throws it away – there are plenty of those around. Or, anyone using candles in their home throws away the smoldering one because the wick is no good - it’s not worth the hassle of having smoke in your room, when you can find cheap candles everywhere. This entire bent nail collecting business might seem extreme, useless and not economical. But the passage in Isaiah uses this illustration to describe Jesus’ care for the outcasts. He was the one who stopped to say a good word to the one begging on the side of the road in which the society didn’t see any value. He was the one that tenderly touched the untouchables of the time. Jesus was the one that found kind words for her, the one that the society would only find stones to throw at her. He was the only one in the midst of a voluntary-deaf crowd that heard the cry for help coming from the blind on the side of the road. It is easy to be gentle with those who are well mannered, clean and well dressed. Somehow the situation changes when it comes to those that society considers outcasts. Is it easier to replace them than to find a new purpose for them?! Jesus was the real gentleman, intentionally showing compassion and giving attention to the outcasts. He saw the value in every single one of them. We are called to follow Him and be like Him, gentle and humble in the heart. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 28:29-30 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:20:19 +0000
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