THE FARMER AND HIS (OUT OF TUNE) VIOLIN – Part 2 - CROSS PURPOSES
THE FARMER AND HIS (OUT OF TUNE) VIOLIN – Part 2
In Cross Purposes 147 – The Farmer and his (out of tune) Violin – Fred tells the story of an Australian grazier, living on an isolated property, who needed access to a “standard note” in order to tune his violin. Ingeniously, he wrote to the nearest radio station asking if they would give him the standard note by radio! The radio station was able to assist and, at an agreed time, struck the tuning note by which the farmer was able to tune his violin and so get on with his music.
The point of the story was that we need to take hold of a quiet time – away from the noise of the world – and tune in to the voice of our Lord. It’s in such quiet times that we can best hear and tune in to the “standard note” of the voice of Jesus.
When talking about this story last week I mentioned to Fred that at band practice each Wednesday evening, the first thing the bandmaster does is to tune all the instruments in the band to a “standard” note. He does this by getting, say, the first clarinettist to play and hold the standard note. As the rest of the band plays and holds that same note, the bandmaster is able to pick up, with his acutely trained ear, which instruments are out of pitch and then directs the player to tune the instrument accordingly. Once every instrument is tuned to the standard note the band is ready to play as one.
Think of the bandmaster as Jesus. Think of the “standard note” the bandmaster seeks the whole band to be tuned to as “the way and the truth and the life” to which Jesus calls us. Jesus calls us to be one in body and spirit – with Him and with each other. He tells us, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and then in His prayer for us in the Garden of Gethsemane He prays:
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (the gospel as Jesus taught his disciples and called them to proclaim), that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Complete unity in our Lord is only possible when we are tuned into His Word through the power of His Holy Spirit. It requires open, humble and receptive hearts to the message of the Gospel so that we can clearly hear the tuning note and allow the Master to show us where our “pitch” needs adjusting.
Horatio Bonar captures the spirit of this wonderfully in his timeless hymn: ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest . . .” “Behold I freely give . . .” “I am this dark world’s light . . .”’ When we resonate with these words we are well in tune with the Body of Christ. Until then we are tuned only to “discordant” notes.
Blessings
René van den Tol
19 February 2009
In Cross Purposes 147 – The Farmer and his (out of tune) Violin – Fred tells the story of an Australian grazier, living on an isolated property, who needed access to a “standard note” in order to tune his violin. Ingeniously, he wrote to the nearest radio station asking if they would give him the standard note by radio! The radio station was able to assist and, at an agreed time, struck the tuning note by which the farmer was able to tune his violin and so get on with his music.
The point of the story was that we need to take hold of a quiet time – away from the noise of the world – and tune in to the voice of our Lord. It’s in such quiet times that we can best hear and tune in to the “standard note” of the voice of Jesus.
When talking about this story last week I mentioned to Fred that at band practice each Wednesday evening, the first thing the bandmaster does is to tune all the instruments in the band to a “standard” note. He does this by getting, say, the first clarinettist to play and hold the standard note. As the rest of the band plays and holds that same note, the bandmaster is able to pick up, with his acutely trained ear, which instruments are out of pitch and then directs the player to tune the instrument accordingly. Once every instrument is tuned to the standard note the band is ready to play as one.
Think of the bandmaster as Jesus. Think of the “standard note” the bandmaster seeks the whole band to be tuned to as “the way and the truth and the life” to which Jesus calls us. Jesus calls us to be one in body and spirit – with Him and with each other. He tells us, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and then in His prayer for us in the Garden of Gethsemane He prays:
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (the gospel as Jesus taught his disciples and called them to proclaim), that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Complete unity in our Lord is only possible when we are tuned into His Word through the power of His Holy Spirit. It requires open, humble and receptive hearts to the message of the Gospel so that we can clearly hear the tuning note and allow the Master to show us where our “pitch” needs adjusting.
Horatio Bonar captures the spirit of this wonderfully in his timeless hymn: ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest . . .” “Behold I freely give . . .” “I am this dark world’s light . . .”’ When we resonate with these words we are well in tune with the Body of Christ. Until then we are tuned only to “discordant” notes.
Blessings
René van den Tol
19 February 2009
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 8:40 AM
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