The Bruised Reed He Shall Not Break
Saturday, July 19th Readings Reflection: Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel quotes a Messianic prophecy from the Prophet Isaias, who wrote: “The bruised reed [H]e [the Messiah] shall not break: and smoking flax [H]e shall not extinguish: till [H]e send forth judgment unto victory” (Mt 12:20 DRB).
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that the bruised reed referred to the kingdom of the Jews and the smoking flax to the Levitical priesthood (Commentary on Isaias). In a spiritual sense, the bruised reed and smoking flax can also apply to ourselves in our spiritual lives. The passage from Isaias ends with the promise of Christ’s judging “unto victory.” Christ, our eternal Judge, will not judge us out of vengeance but rather out of infinite justice and infinite mercy.
God’s justice and mercy can sometimes appear to us to be at odds with each other. How can an infinitely merciful God send people to Hell? This apparent contradiction can make us feel as though God breaks the bruised reed of wounded souls—something that we know cannot be true from the Scriptures.
The answers to this question is very complex, and countless saints have written lengthy explanations in response to it. However, I would like to very briefly outline a couple points, both to defend God’s infinite justice and mercy and also to illustrate how these divine qualities protect and safeguard the bruised reed of souls wounded by sin. St. Thomas Aquinas defined justice as the virtue by which we render to others what they are due (Summa theologiae II-II, q. 58, a. 1). He likewise defined mercy as the virtue by which our intellects, in accordance with reason, are grieved at the suffering of others (ST, II-II, q. 30, a. 3). The goal of mercy, according to Aquinas, is the preservation of justice.
God does not send people to Hell; rather, He permits people to use their free will to choose to reject Him and die in unrepentant mortal sin. God’s justice demands that souls repent for their sins, for if we are not sorry for our sins, we reject the forgiveness that He offers to us. When men fall into mortal sin, God’s mercy is grieved at the resulting loss of sanctifying grace in their souls. This same mercy simultaneously preserves justice, which requires that these souls be punished for their sins if they do not repent. Again, the choice to repent and accept God’s forgiveness lies within our free will, and the necessary consequences for this choice are indeed just, for if no eternal punishment exists for sin, then eternal reward for faithfulness becomes meaningless.
The existence of Hell and eternal damnation as the eternal punishment for unrepentant mortal sin does not denote a lack of love or mercy in our God. Punishment for sin is not meant to break us like a bruised reed; rather, it should fill us with gratitude that God’s justice and mercy are eternal and that He will reward us if we are faithful. The existence of Hell is intrinsically connected with the existence of Heaven, for our struggles here on earth to remain on the straight and narrow path would have no meaning if we were not seeking to avoid an eternity of punishment separated from God. Rather than fill us with fear or despair, this should impel us to cling ever more closely to our infinitely loving and merciful God, Who does not desire the eternal death of sinners but instead that they should be converted and live eternal life in union with God (cf. Ezec 18:24).
I heard the tension between justice and mercy explained one time as an “iron law” administered by a “loving judge”. The law is cut and dry, but God’s administers it like a parent to his children. He wants us to succeed, but permits us to make our own choices.
Contrast this with the pharisees of Jesus’ time, who administered the iron law by the book—trying to stone the woman comes to mind, but God shows us what justice AND mercy looks like in that example.
This is a reassuring scripture to meditate on, that we are the bruised reeds. Knowing that God will judge our souls with tenderness is good medicine.
Nicely said. Msgr Pope wrote a very short book named "The hell there is". Wonderful explanation for the existence of hell as God's loving us to hell rather than "condemning" out of anger or retribution. This is very close to what you wrote. God respects our free will so much that He will not force anyone to accept heaven. Peace be with you and thank you!