CBC Update
Dear Friends,
The word ‘worthy’ popped up in my readings this past week. I’ve been reading through the Passion narratives and the trials of Jesus. As Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court), the chief priest and the council declared Him “worthy of death” (Matthew 26).
In contrast, one of my readings from Ephesians challenged me to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).
It got me thinking—what does “worthy” mean? What makes someone or something worthy? The best answer I found came in the form of a story about an old violin.
A well-worn, dusty violin was up for auction one day. It was just one of many items being sold and had received very little attention. The auctioneer held up the scratched, dull, and unimpressive instrument. Plucking its out-of-tune strings, he started the bidding at a dollar.
“Who’ll start the bidding?” the auctioneer asked. “Five dollars? Three? Two?” The crowd sat mostly silent, uninterested.
Then, from the back of the room, an elderly man stepped forward. He asked to see the violin. Gently, he picked it up, tightened the strings, tuned it carefully—and then began to play.
The music that poured from that old, dusty violin was hauntingly beautiful—rich, full, alive, and deeply moving.
When the old man finished playing, the room was completely still—captivated by what they’d just heard.
The auctioneer, now smiling, held the violin up again. “Now, who’ll bid for this violin? One thousand? Two? Do I hear three?” The bidding soared!
Someone in the crowd whispered, “What changed its worth?”
The reply came: “The touch of the master’s hand.”
We are worthy because we’ve been touched and are held by the Master—Jesus. Our worth is not something we earn, but something we’ve been given because of Jesus—through His death, burial, and resurrection.
So when the New Testament writers call us to “live a life worthy of the gospel” (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Philippians 1:27), I believe they’re calling us to: Live out who you truly are, and to live in response to all that Jesus has done for you.
May you know your worthiness.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Ian