The Old Violin - It's All in the Touch

mind cannot begin to comprehend salvation. When Christ redeemed me, He ransomed me; He bought me back. Oh, I understand the basic facts and have experienced the change that redemption brings. But when we buy things, we usually think in terms of value for our money or return on investment: buy one, get one free at the grocery store; the cheapest gas we can find; a house for retirement; gold as a hedge against a weak dollar and inflation. We want to get the best deal we can and buy things that will hold their value.

But when Jesus bought me, there was no value. Did you get that? No value: nothing, nada, vain, empty, void, worthless, a zero with the ring rubbed out. I was without the strength to help myself, and I was ungodly. I’ve bought worthless things before.  Usually, the purchase is accidental, but occasionally the purchase is because of grace and/or love: lemonade at a kid’s lemonade stand, something my child made for a school fundraiser, a child’s tooth (fairy or not), a chore completed by my child that I would have to redo anyway.

But not only did Christ purchase me, something with no value, He did it with his life. Would the average person sacrifice his life for another? Well, that depends. There are those for whom most people would “take a bullet,” and others they would never even think about dying for. For a loved one? Of course. For a good friend? Yes. For a great person? Probably. For a stranger? Maybe. For the unlovely/unlikable? Not so fast. For the wicked? Probably not. For the scum of the earth? No.

God did the unthinkable. God loved the unlovable (sinner) by sending Jesus to die a substitutionary death. He ransomed the worst of the worst. He ransomed me; He ransomed you. He saves us from our sin and the punishment we deserve, and instead gives us an eternal relationship with Him through cleansing and rebirth. Amazing, simply amazing.

 
Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,

"Who'll start the bidding for me?

A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?

Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three . . ." But no,

From the room, far back, a grey-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low, said:

"What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?

"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?

"Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;

And going and gone."said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

"We do not quite understand,
what changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:

"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A 'mess of pottage,' a glass of wine;

A game - and he travels on.

He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,

He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought

By the touch of the Master's Hand.

Myra B. Welsh

(1877-1959)

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: 

yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 5:6-9

  If this has been an encouragement to you, pass it on to your friends. Thanks for reading. PM