A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Isaiah 42:3)

In the ancient world of the Israelites, there was great anticipation over the coming of the promised Messiah. Most were looking for a militant Messiah and such an expectation can be readily understood, because they were, for the most part, a separate, vulnerable and mistreated people. When Jesus finally did appear as promised, He did not fit the preconceived mold of what a Messiah should be like. He was, in fact, a gentle and compassionate Messiah. He was, as Isaiah had predicted, a suffering servant.

Unfortunately, the people around Him, especially those in authority, interpreted this as weakness. They were wrong! As Jesus proved in the long run, there is nothing stronger than the strength of a gentle hand. Isaiah could see that even with these soft and gentle compassionate qualities, the Messiah could bring justice to the human race. In fact, he could see clearly that only a Messiah of this type could bring about the desired results. Strength without compassion most often translates into oppression.

We need to recognize that strength and force will not relieve us of our oppression, but if we were to follow Jesus’ examples of compassion and gentleness, we have the power to bring about change. The hand that could easily have called upon the legions of angels to smite the enemy did not. Justice and salvation was brought about through gentleness. Perhaps we can bring about change through our approach to the world and teach the masses a better way to win hearts.

Holy God of Justice, may the gentleness and compassion of Jesus be our beacon as we try to change an intolerant world!