Jesus is Tender

He won’t break a bruised reed or bent stalk; he won’t extinguish, snuff out, a faint, smoldering wick, but he will surely bring justice (until he makes justice win).  -Isaiah 42:3, Matt. 12:20 (CEB)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

Heart aches, broken people, ruined lives are why you died on Calvary.

Jesus is tender and kind.  He is gentle with us when we are hurting.  he is compassionate and merciful.

You have been going through something.  You've been waiting.  You have been standing most of the time.  When you have stumbled, you got up.  Some things seem unfair.  Lots of things do not make sense.

Maybe you beat yourself up.  You are heart sick.  Perhaps you are disappointed, with God, with others, or with your self.  Maybe your life feels wrecked.  Maybe you feel worthless.


Jesus is not rough or rude or harsh towards those who are weak, out of breath, and who feel like giving up.

We may be ungracious towards ourselves and then we assume that God is also ungracious or harsh towards us.  God is mean towards sin, but not the sinner.  God is unmerciful towards sin, but full of mercy towards the sinner.

Jesus is with you while you are bruised and faint.  Jesus is patient with you.  Jesus waits with you.

Jesus sees you and is with you.  The answer to what you have been going through is that Jesus is with you in it.  Will you acknowledge him, turn to him, and invite him to stay?

Jesus is compassionate with you, in what you have been going through.  He is merciful, kind, and gracious with you.  You are on his heart.

You have been tempted to just focus on the badness, the meanness of what you have gone through and what you are still going through.  The wrong conclusion is that you are bad and God is mad at you.  The truth is that you are loved and God is tender towards you.

In the time of injustice, in the waiting room of the not yet; am I learning that He loves me?  That's the lesson.  God who is all powerful, Jesus who will one day judge, comes to us now and is gentle towards us.  He is tender and compassionate with me.

We have been wanting to get away, to go someplace else, to get out of our current or long-term situation.  All the while, Jesus has been there, been here with us.  He wants us to know that he is with us and does not condemn us, but wants to comfort us; be with us tenderly in kindness.  He is kind towards us in our bruised and faint time.  That's what he wants us to know and experience.


_______________________
Artwork credit: Bruised Reed Will Not Break by Lily Lihting Li Kostrzewa