Perfectly Trained by Jesus, Who Nurtures the Good in People

David W Palmer

Some more of Jesus’s amazing qualities are revealed in the following passage from Isaiah that is quoted by Matthew. We need them to develop in our lives as we grow to maturity in Christ:

(Matthew 12:19–21 NKJV) “He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. {20} A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; {21} And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

“He will not quarrel nor cry out.”

Jesus may have preached with enough volume for a multitude to hear him on a mountain; he may have taught with so much passionate intensity that a crowd could hear him from a boat out on the water; but at home, he didn’t raise his voice. You couldn’t hear him from the street yelling at his family, or arguing the point with those in his household. In truth, Jesus’s character is described for us by the Holy Spirit in his list of the gifts of the Spirit:

(Galatians 5:22–23 Jubilee Bible 2000} But the fruit of the Spirit is this: Charity (love), joy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This also describes the character of those who are fully trained to be like Jesus. The list is the “fruit” of walking in the Holy Spirit and being led by him; it is what grows in a surrendered life and becomes appealing and flavorsome to others. The training is needed because Jesus—our Master trainer—is committed to bringing us to complete competence at walking in the Holy Spirit, being led by him. This is so the fruit of being yielded to him can develop, grow, and come to maturity in our lives.

I particularly like the last characteristic on the list in Gal. 5:23, “temperance.” In most translations this is rendered “self-control,” but as it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit—not the fruit of self—I prefer to use the old KJV word, “temperance.” It may look like self-control to observers, but those who have this fruit apparent in their lives know that it didn’t come because their self-nature can control itself. (If it could, perhaps it could keep itself from sin, and make its own way to heaven without Jesus’s help.)

Today, I encourage you to dine on this list of fruit; meditate on these attractive attributes, and see that it describes Jesus—the one we value and adore—and his amazing character. By finding his grace at his throne of grace through faith, you too can walk in the Spirit, be led by him, and have all this fruit develop in your life. Thus, by God’s grace, you too will not quarrel, cry out, nor will anyone hear your voice in the streets.

“A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench” (Mat. 12:20)

This passage perplexed me for a long time, until I realized that it is stating an obvious characteristic of love: if someone is damaged, hurting, or crushed by injustice, Jesus will not increase the injury or destroy them. A bent reed—although unable to stand by itself—is still connected, and can therefore be kept alive. Jesus will not take advantage of its weakness, and break it off completely. Similarly, if a wick (or person) that once burned brightly is now growing dim and flickering, Jesus will not extinguish it all together. In truth, he will do what he can to fan it into flame again (See: 2 Tim. 1:6).

Our Lord and Master gave us another wonderful parable to illustrate and expand on his thinking here:

(Luke 13:6–9 NLT) Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. {7} Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ {8} The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. {9} If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

This story illustrates Jesus’s heart towards those who haven’t developed the fruit he is looking for—the fruit of holiness—but who still show a glimmer of hope that they will.

God has high expectations of those who have received his new birth and the Holy Spirit, as the following verses reveal:

(1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV) But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

(Hebrews 12:14 NLT) Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

This shows that God expects us to yield a holy life. But thankfully, Jesus shows in the above parable that, like the compassionate and hopeful gardener, he won’t easily give up on anyone—especially if he sees even a glimmer of hope that they might produce some holy fruit—albeit eventually.

“Till He sends forth justice to victory”

As we saw yesterday, God’s love of justice will culminate on a definite day in the future, Judgment Day. This is when all acts of injustice will be finally and fully righted. However, he delays that day while he still sees even the remotest possibility that more people will repent and produce the right fruit.

This compassionate hiatus is pictured in Jesus’s parable: “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.’” The delayed but impending judgment is pictured in what Jesus said next: “If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.” The day for removal is surely coming; it is definite and final. Let’s make sure we are producing the fruit of holiness in our lives that he is hoping for.

Today, as we develop in our training to be like our Master, let’s imitate his attitude towards those who show even the tiniest potential for life and fruit. It’s not Judgment Day yet, so we keep applying love, special attention, and fertilizer while we can.

Our first step in this is to understand and receive his love towards us in this area. Remember, he won’t give up on you if you are still connected to him. Even if you are bent and fractured, crushed by disappointment and injustice; and even if your light is dim and flickering, Jesus will not give up on you if you remain connected to him. He wants you to receive his love and grace today: he can help you; he can resurrect you. He can re-strengthen your backbone, restore your dream, reinvigorate your crushed hope, and heal your broken heart. He loves you that much; and if you stay connected to him, he will complete the good work he has already begun in your life:

(Philippians 1:6 NKJV) Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Then, as you are restored, straightened, strengthened, and burning; and as you grow the fruit of Jesus’s character, he will transform you into the type of gardener he is—one who is always looking for even the tiniest glimmer of hope that someone can make it. Far from breaking or extinguishing them, you will be looking to nurture them, feed them, and heal them—hoping they will begin to produce the right fruit while there is time.

Who can you reach out to today? Who is like a fractured reed that cannot hold themselves up? Who do you know whose light is dim and dwindling? Who is it that hasn’t yet produced fruit? Some may even see them as a “waste of space,” and want to uproot, cut down, or remove them. Today’s the day to begin to pour in the love—be like the Good Samaritan, and pour on wine and oil. Help them to heal, soothe their wounds, nurture their hope, hold them up, and reignite their light. God bless you.