THE MASTER’S TOUCH

“The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” otherwise known as The Old Violin, is a poem written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921.  It tells of an old, battered violin that is about to be sold as the last item at an auction for almost nothing. But just as it’s going, going, gone, a violinist steps out of the audience, picking up the instrument and its bow.  The musician dusts it off, tightens up the strings, and begins to play a melody pure and sweet, as a caroling angel sings, demonstrating its beauty and true value.  Prior to the violinist’s playing, the auction price was three dollars but following the playing, the instrument sells for $3,000.  The poem’s conclusion presents an analogy of this instrument, touched by the hand of a master musician, to the worth of a life that is led by the hand of God.

Pastor Lawrence’s sermon this past Sunday reminded me of this old poem, and subsequently the transformation of Christ-follower lives led by the Holy Spirit, as manifested by our everyday behaviors.  Galatians 5:22-23 says that The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

As an example of how these Christ-like attributes are manifested, Pastor Lawrence showed us that to become Christ’s instruments of peace, we must move from hatred to love and from injury to pardon.  If we are no different than before we met Jesus, we must ask ourselves if we have truly met Him because His Spirit changes us to produce His fruit.  It’s the life for which those who don’t know Christ are always searching and the life we as Christ-followers embrace, which forms us into being His instruments.  It’s the life He wants for us and provides to us as His followers.  Jesus said so in John 6:63 (ESV), It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.

Just as the master musician made the old, battered violin play a pure and sweet melody in the poem, our Master transforms us and the worth of a soul is eternally changed by His touch.