Whoever coined the expression, “brokenhearted,” got it right. In times of deep sorrow it really does seem that our hearts have been broken beyond repair. We can feel the broken pieces, like shards of pottery. Brokenhearted is more than just being temporarily sad. Deeper and more permanent, brokenhearted has lost hope. What is done is done and there is no fixing it. The pieces cannot be mended. If you can relate, if you are brokenhearted as you read this, my heart goes out to you. That is another expression for, “I can identify with how painful it is for you right now” and “I would like to touch your heart with my own, if such a thing was possible.” Some people come close in a very comforting way. It’s a special gift. But they cannot truly fix a broken heart.
Which makes these lines from Isaiah especially meaningful. By quoting these words at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus identified Himself as the Messiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,… ” – (Isaiah 61:1a)
If you ask, “When God sent Jesus, what was He supposed to do?” I suspect not many people would include fixing broken hearts in the list. And yet, it was the nearly the first identifying mark of the Messiah – binding up the pieces of broken hearts, restoring hope, healing a pain that could not be wished away. How could anyone, even the Messiah, accomplish such a seemingly impossible task? Here is another quote from Isaiah:
“And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” – (Isaiah 25:7-8)
The One Who can conquer death can certainly mend a broken heart. Jesus proved He was able by His resurrection. If your heart is broken, take the pieces to Jesus. He will bind them and heal them. Let Him have your heart. You will not be sorry.