Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“A bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, April 8, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
And now for something completely different. The past couple passages have been about God’s rulership being one of glory—seraphim singing “Holy Holy Holy” and God being a “garland of glory” and a “diadem of beauty” and turning back battle at the gate. Big, showy, ruler-y things, indeed, and we can all get behind a delivering God who sweeps in and creates justice for all.
But here we have this image of a divinely-appointed ruler as a “suffering servant,” gentle to those in need of justice. So gentle that a reed bruised and hurting from oppressive systems will not be broken under the weight of the servant’s rule. That a candle that has been nearly extinguished by adversity and injustice will not accidentally be snuffed by the ruler’s decrees.
True justice—that of the divine suffering servant, who is Jesus—is gentle on the oppressed. It brings relief. So here is a ruler who is not bombastic and glorious, but nurturing, like a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings, or a mother eagle bearing its young. And like the glorious diadem ruler, I can really get behind this idea, too.
Aren’t you just blown away by the beautiful and diverse imagery of our ruler God? I certainly am.
What are the most compelling images for me of God as divine ruler?
