VIDEO: YOUTUBE: Joshua Bell; Washington Post in Metro DC, Length 2:44
Gene Weingarten from the Washington post writes: "HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin.
Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play. It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by."
Weingarten says: "No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made.”
But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell, the international acclaimed virtuoso, playing a seventeenth century violin valued at 3.5 million dollars was just another noisemaker competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.
He can command as much as $1,000 per minute for his skills with the violin, but on this average busy day only a handful of people actually stopped to listen. After his masterful 43 minute performance, he managed to amass a whopping $32 dollars and seventeen cents. The Washington Post arranged this experiment to find out if musical genius would be recognized by the masses if it were played in an ordinary place. It was not. (www.startribune.com/465/story/1110380.html)
When God himself came to earth in the flesh he was just another noisemaker to many. But to those who recognized the beauty and authenticity of his song, their lives were changed forever.
Jesus is the master rabbi whose song reaches around the planet. Like Joshua Bell in the busy Metro station many people hear the song but the business of life and complexities of careers turn his magical message into trivial mumblings yet the music continues to play. Can you hear it?
For three years Jesus taught the truth and touched people with God’s love. His twelve disciples called Talmidim in Hebrew, followed him wherever he went observing everything that he taught and everything that he did. They heard him teach truth and watched him touch people with God’s love. They saw him patiently caring for people and living a life fully devoted to God. They heard his song and they began to hum along as he sang God’s song to the masses. Then, at just the right time, Jesus sent them out to sing that same song to others.
Luke 10 tells us the story:
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:1-2 NIV
Jesus told them that there are plenty of people who are willing to listen, but very few who are willing to sing. He told his disciples to pray that God would send out more workers to meet the demand.
"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ’The kingdom of God is near you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ’Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town…. "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke 10:8-12, 16 NIV
The fact is that some people will stop and listen to God’s song and want to participate with you. Others will be too busy with life and find the song irritating or unworthy of attention, and ignore it as if it were background music in the elevator. But for those that hear the song and join in, there is great joy.
“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Luke 10:17 NIV
The disciples found out that they could sing God’s tune just like Jesus. If they were traditional talmid this was the moment that they would have become a rabbi in their own right. They were able to teach God’s truth and touch people with the love of God just like their master rabbi Jesus and he rejoiced with the good news.
“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Luke 10:21-24 NIV
They got it and it was good. The disciples had listened to Jesus and had seen him touch people with God’s love. They had seen him teach the educated, win debates with the intellectual, and heal the sick. They had witnessed miracles and seen people respond. And now it was there turn.
Now this is amazing. Their rabbi actually invited them to join him in doing God’s business.
Jesus invites his disciples to join him in doing God’s business.
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,…” Luke 9:1 NIV
I wonder what thoughts were going through their minds when he said that? Did they have doubts? Did they question their abilities and their faith? We simply don’t know. But what we do know is that Jesus had enough confidence in God that he sent his disciples out to do the work.
Jesus sends his disciples out to do the work.
“…and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.” Luke 9:2-3 NIV
Where did he send them? He sent them into the world. In other words, he sent them out of the church to be the church to the world. Jesus understands that the church isn’t a building, the church is the people. God’s music is meant for the masses.
Where do his disciples work? In the world.
“…and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” Luke 9:2 NIV
I have asked my friend Theresa Devine to come up and share how she is singing God’s song in the world every week.
FAITH STORY: Theresa Devine
My name is Theresa Devine and I volunteer at St. Joes Home for children in Minneapolis. St Joes home is for children and teens that have been taken out of their homes for various reasons. Many of the children have been emotionally, physically and even sexually abused. Some of these children are waiting to go back home and others will be placed in foster care or adapted by a new family.
I have always had a soft place in my heart for children. Especially if I can help them in a positive way. Volunteering my time once a week at St. Joe’s gives me the opportunity to do that.
One of my favorite kids is Tatayana. She likes it when I can help her with her homework spending one on one time with her. Another child is named Saronta. He enjoys giving hugs and playing card games. None of which he ever lets me win!
I will never forget Synclair. She is pretty feisty and has several emotional problems including anger. But I have never seen her smile like the time that I taught her to play spoons. She laughed and had the biggest smile on her face. It was also the first time I had seen her play well with the other children and that made me feel great.
I enjoy spending time with these kids. They have touched my heart and so often I have wished that I could take them home with me. But more than anything I hope they take a part of me home with them. I try to show these kids the love of God in a manner in which they can understand. Most of these children have only seen the bad side of adults, I want to be a model to them of a good one.
God has placed many good people in my life and I hope that I can be a Positive person for these kids also. They have inspired me to let the love of Christ be heard and seen in my life as I give God the control. I have chosen to be a disciple of Jesus and to point people to the light of the world while volunteering at St. Joe’s.
Jesus tells his disciples that they need to go out into the world and sing God’s song.
This requires action!
Not everybody will recognize God’s song but for those who do, it will be beautiful. This requires action on our part. We are the ones who sing God’s song to others. It’s up to us to share that song because God trusts his disciples, us, to teach God’s truth and touch other people with God’s love. We can share that love anyplace and anytime.
What happens when his disciples respond? People are transformed.
“(17)The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."……….(21)At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure…………. (23)Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. (24)For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Luke 10:1-? NIV
My small group has been volunteering every month down at the homeless shelter called the Marie Sandvick Center for several months now. A team from our church drives in with food that many of you have made and then hand it out after we sing a few worship songs and preach the truth. At Freshwater we want to be just like Jesus and teach God’s truth and touch people with God’s love, that’s why we serve. And we hope that the song that we sing makes a difference.
Whenever we go down there we volunteer with a woman named Mary Beth. She is a dishwasher at the center in title but in reality, she is much, much more. She is a godly woman who has a heart to teach and touch people with God’s love because she has been on the receiving end of the Center’s services. She has personally been transformed by God through an incredible journey. This woman convinced us to go down to the Salvation Army shelter called Harbor Lights and volunteer there after we volunteered at the center. So we went. And while we were there we met all kinds of great people, many who desperately need to hear God’s song.
While we were there we listened to a group of men who have also been transformed and are now singing God’s song to others just like Jesus says to do. When we went this past Friday night I took a video camera to record them singing, take a look.
VIDEO: Salvation Army Shelter.
I realized that I was a bad camera man so instead of trying to get all the video right I just invited them to come here and sing instead. Here are my new friends, Aurthor, Daryll and Mark. (special music from Salvation Army group)
Only one person recognized Joshua Bell when he played at the Metro. Today I challenge you to listen to God’s song and play it over and over again wherever you go because when you make the choice to follow the rabbi lives will be transformed and others will begin to sing with you. Be a disciple and become a revolutionary. AMEN.
