Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 12:20

"A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory." — Matthew 12:20 (ASV)

He left the bruised reed of Pharisaic presence to prove its own impotence—it was not at that time worth His while to break it. And the smoking flax of nominal religiousness, He passed by and left all dealing with it until another day, when the hour should come to end its offensiveness. He will in the end victoriously judge those hypocrites who were useless as bruised reeds and offensive as smoking flax, but He would not do this during His first mission to humankind. He is in no haste to destroy every petty opposition.

This I take to be the exact sense of the words in this connection, but as the passage is popularly received, it is equally true and much richer in consolation. The feeblest are not disdained by our Lord Jesus, though apparently useless as a bruised reed or even actually offensive as smoking flax. He is gentle and exercises no harsh severity. He bears and forbears with those who are unlovely in His eyes. He longs to bind up the broken reed and fan the smoking flax into flaming life. Oh, that poor sinners would remember this and trust Him!