In Jesus’ day, reeds had certain uses but were so common that a single reed was of almost no value. Likewise, in sense of fetching no money in the marketplace, air is virtually worthless. Nevertheless, air is useful for so many things and is even essential for life. A bruised reed, however, is not only worthless but useless. Likewise, a tiny piece of flax used as a lamp wick is of little value. A smoking flax, however, is worse than nothing; it irritates one’s eyes and offends one’s nose.

Everyone’s instinctive reaction is to ignore and reject a damaged reed, and snuff out a smoking wick. But the Son of God is so different to other people that he carefully preserves what everyone else dismisses as useless and annoying.