Bruised, burnt out, at the end of your rope? God is paying attention and will give you hope again. How? This is something the Chief Apostle illustrated in a recent divine service.
“With our Bible text we are taking a trip far back into history, at least 2,500 years,” said Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler as he opened up the divine service on Sunday, 23 August 2026 in Chisinau, Moldova. He used a passage from Isaiah 42: 3 as the basis for his sermon: “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.”
“At that time,” he explained, “it was common to use reeds for construction, since they are sturdy, large, and tall. They were used as measuring rods or for building houses. A bent or broken reed was considered useless and irreparable, and so it would be snapped in two and discarded.”
“It was much the same with oil lamps,” he went on. “Houses in those days were dark, as there were no windows. A bowl containing oil and a wick served as a lamp. But when the oil ran out, only the smouldering wick remained, which was then extinguished by pinching it between two fingers.”
The prophet Isaiah employs these two images. And the attitude depicted in them is said to be the rule in the world today as well: “Throw it away and be done with it.”
God comforts in the silence
In this biblical passage, however, Isaiah is addressing the people of Israel, who had been bruised and carried off into Babylonian captivity after Jerusalem and its temple had been destroyed. The light of faith had all but gone out, yet God told the people: “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench.”
“But who is the subject here in this passage?” the Church leader asked—before going on to provide the answer: “Here God says, ‘Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!’ These words from the Old Testament are a reference to Jesus’ baptism in the New Testament.”
“He—that is, Jesus Christ and the justice He establishes—cannot be broken or extinguished. Another characteristic of Jesus Christ is that He does not shout or cry out, but rather offers comfort. One cannot shout comfort,” the Chief Apostle emphasised, “and His comfort requires quiet and time. This reminds us of the experience of Elijah: God was not to be found in the earthquake, the fire, or the whirlwind, but in the silence. “If we want to hear God, if we want to be comforted, let us give room to the silence—it is right to be silent and still.”
Bruised—but not broken
“Perhaps you are such a bruised reed because
- a sudden stroke of fate has impacted your life.”—God will sustain you and restore stability.
- you have lost your sense of direction.”—God will show you the way to Jesus, who is the truth and the life.
- you feel useless”—but for God everyone is useful and valuable.
- you have sinned and are afraid of God’s punishment”—God does not strike down anyone.
Smouldering—but not extinguished
“Perhaps you too are such a smouldering wick
- because your faith has retreated and you just barely made it to this divine service with the last of your strength and filled with doubt.”—God will not extinguish this wick, but will instead breathe upon it very carefully so that the flames of faith can begin to burn again.
- because when people die, all that is left is a thin whisp of grey smoke and then everything is over and done.”—God will never extinguish the soul’s light of life.
- as some have left the congregation because they no longer believe, because they no longer want to live here.”—God will never extinguish the bridal congregation.
With justice comes peace
“Jesus Christ will never break or extinguish anything.” He hung on the cross. “He allowed himself to be broken so that He might raise up those who are broken.” And Jesus Christ rose again. “The light He brought has not been extinguished.”
“Jesus Christ will come.” He will revive the bruised reeds and the smouldering wicks. Then the wedding feast will be celebrated in heaven and the thousand-year kingdom of peace established. “He himself will not falter until He has established justice on earth.” And with this justice, He will bring peace.
