It looked so beautiful sitting on the Wal-mart display unit in the veggie section. I reached over and touched the leaf – just a bit more – actually I crushed the leaf. Oh, it smelled so good! I was told it was a basal plant, $3.99, so into the basket it went.

At home I set it in the window over the sink so I could enjoy it. However, it gave no aroma without the crushing process. Each time I bruised it, my fingers radiated aroma from the crushed leaf. That’s the reason I’ve been sitting here rolling this basal leaf between my fingers.

I remember Granddad Jim preaching “a bruised reed, He (Jesus) will not crush.” ….. I wonder what I will find if I look in his old Bible. Yes, it is there—Isaiah 42:3– and it is no surprise to me that it is underlined. He must have painted quite a picture for me to remember for these seventy years or so.

His word pictures surely showed a tender Jesus careful not to jostle the weak ones in the crowd, a loving Jesus leaning to lift a fallen woman, a gentle Jesus choosing steps on the hillside which would do the least damage to the flowers blooming there, and perhaps even a smiling Jesus holding a donkey while he waits for his mother to join the caravan getting ready to go into town.

And I am astounded at the love that was shown by God the Father when He chose to bruise this gentle Jesus so He could become my Magnificent Savior!

Oh, lean in close, smell the sweet aroma emanating from the risen Christ—the victor over the horrific stench of the bloody cross, that cruel instrument wielded by the harsh treatment of those who were unbroken, but who also were invited by this long suffering, gentle, and loving Savior who prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

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I am posting again from about four years ago.  I needed it again.  

Image: unsplash