He Will Not Quarrel

Matthew 12:19

He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice in victory;
and in his name the Gentiles will hope.

...............

I have been having the hardest time knowing what to say about this chapter. I have considered outlining the four accusations of the Pharisees that are recorded here. I thought about having a tangential discussion of the "unforgivable sin" in verse 31. I keep trying to find the common theme in the whole chapter, but I've realized that these chapter divisions are sometimes arbitrary; there may not be a common theme in some chapters.

So, let's talk about this Isaiah quotation and how in the world this passage was "fulfilled" by Jesus when he "ordered them not to make him known" (verse 16). Many have speculated on the secretive aspect of Jesus' early public ministry. He would often heal people and then tell them to keep it to themselves; don't tell anybody. And, just as often, they would go and tell everybody anyways! Was Jesus just afraid of the authorities? After all, they were conspiring against him, "how to destroy him" (verse 14).

Well, this passage makes clear that Jesus was not being secretive out of fear. Rather he was fulfilling an Old Testament description of the Messiah. If you are familiar with Isaiah 53, the prophecy of the Suffering Servant, than you are already acquainted with the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah. This quotation in Matthew 12 is just from another part of that Servant Song, Isaiah chapter 42. This passage says a number of things about what the Messiah will be like.

- He is chosen and beloved of God (verse 18 - notice the reference made to this at Jesus' baptism by the voice of God from heaven)
- He has the Spirit of God upon Him.
- He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles
- He will not quarrel
- He will not shun those of little faith (a bruised reed he will not break)
- He will bring justice to victory
- The Gentiles will hope in Him.

There is so much to be said about these few descriptions. But, the immediate context demands emphasis upon the fact that Jesus "will not quarrel." It's not that he was afraid of the Pharisees and their plot to destroy him; he knew all about that and where it would lead. But, his time had not yet come and he was not quarrelsome by nature.

He was not quarrelsome by nature.

Isn't that nice to know? That Jesus is not a "devil's advocate" (oh boy, that's obvious). He wasn't looking for a fight with the Pharisees. When he challenged them in public, it was not to be quarrelsome, but to pierce their hearts with the truth of the kingdom, to show them who was really king, and to denounce their false teaching publicly for the sake of his flock. We've seen in chapters 10 and 11 that Jesus was not afraid of publicly foretelling the downfall of his unbelieving enemies. He sounds rather judgmental at times (He is the Judge of all creation!). But, remember also that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. For those of little faith, he will welcome them without quarreling; he will not quench their smoldering flame of faith.