MASTERPIECE IN MASTER’S HANDS

Yesterday, a Stradivarius violin was sold at Sotheby’s for a staggering $11.25 million. Can you imagine? A single instrument, but so rare, so valuable, that people were willing to pay millions just to own it. But that reminded me of a powerful story about a different Stradivarius violin.

In the early 20th century, the renowned violinist Fritz Kreisler shocked an audience during a concert. Standing before them, he raised his violin high and, to their horror, smashed it over a chair! Gasps filled the room. The audience could hardly believe what they had witnessed. A Stradivarius—one of the finest violins in the world—destroyed in an instant!

Then Kreisler lifted his bow and said, “Now, I shall play my Stradivarius.” He had fooled them all. The violin he had shattered was nothing more than an ordinary instrument. He then picked up his real Stradivarius and began to play, filling the room with a melody so beautiful, so pure, that the audience understood something profound: the magic was not in the violin—it was in the hands of the musician.

Friends, how often do we measure our worth by external things? We look at what we have—our possessions, our titles, our achievements—and we think that’s what makes us valuable. We compare ourselves to others and wonder, If only I had more… If only I were more… then I would be worth something. But the truth is, your value doesn’t come from what you have, but from who you are!

Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece.” That means you are one of a kind, handcrafted by the Almighty! You weren’t mass-produced; you weren’t made on an assembly line. No, God took His time, He put thought into you, He designed you uniquely with purpose.

And just like that Stradivarius violin, your true value is revealed when you are in the hands of the Master. You may feel ordinary, you may feel overlooked, but in the hands of God, your life becomes a melody of grace, of love, of purpose. He is shaping you, tuning you, drawing out the beauty inside of you.

So stop defining yourself by the world’s standards. You are God’s masterpiece, and in His hands, your life will sing a song that will bless the world.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
February 8, 2025