The Masterpiece

On a cool, rainy autumn afternoon, the aging carpenter sat in his workshop thinking about all the things he had made over the years.  His hands, once strong and flexible, could mold and shape wood into anything his mind could dream up.  Now, the mounting years and the cool weather brought pain to his hands.  His fingers struggled to hold a firm grasp on the tools which had virtually become part of him for so many years.  His mind still dreamed and created, but his body was worn and tired.  The thought of closing the doors of the workshop for good was not something he would allow himself to consider.  However, time and strength were no longer his faithful companions.  He decided to compromise.  He would find an apprentice, someone with skill and eagerness to learn.  He would share the visions of his mind with the young man and teach him how to transform these visions into amazing works of art.  There was one particular piece the old man wanted to pass on to the next generation.  This particular piece had taken him years to perfect.  He had poured his life and even his blood into the masterpiece. This piece had come straight from the heart of the master.  It was so much different than anything he had created before.  The masterpiece was actually part of the master.  It embodied who he was and how he loved his creations. The master hoped the apprentice would be able to accurately duplicate it.
So, after searching for several months the carpenter found a promising young man who had the desire and the heart to learn, he just needed a teacher.

And so it began, the carpenter and the apprentice.  Day after day the old man would share his dreams and then teach the young apprentice how to shape and manipulate the wood into a living representation of that dream.  The days turned into weeks, weeks into months as the two worked side by side in that little woodshop.  Not only did the master teach the apprentice how to shape wood, but he also taught him to follow his heart.  If he kept his heart pure it would be seen in his work.  This was especially true when working on "The Masterpiece".

As the new autumn approached, the old woodworker knew it was time.  He had poured every bit of his dreams and talents into the young apprentice.  Now, the apprentice was no longer the student.  He himself had finally become a master carpenter.  It was time for him to take over the old woodshop and make it his own.  The master handed the worn, rusty keys over to the new owner and reminded him one last time to follow his dreams and let his heart guide his hands.  The old man walked out of the woodshop with a smile on his face and a tear in his eye.

The apprentice quickly and excitedly went to work.  His first project was recreating the masterpiece. He spent long days and many sleepless nights cutting and shaping the wood exactly as he had been taught. Like his master had so many times, he poured sweat and even blood into shaping the vision into reality.  Finally, it was finished.  It was an exact replica of the masterpiece.  Proudly the apprentice laid down his tools, carried the masterpiece to the entrance of the woodshop, and set it down so people could see his handiwork.  He knew it would only be a matter of time before it caught the attention and admiration of those passing by.  However, hours turned into days before anyone stopped to look at it. Finally, a young doctor stopped in front of the masterpiece and gazed at it intently.  After carefully looking it over, picking it up, and running his hands over it, the young man set it down and started to walk away.  The apprentice ran over to him and said, "sir, I noticed you looking at my wood carving and I was wondering what it is that made you walk away without buying it?"  "Well," the man said, "I think it is a very beautiful piece, but I find it is rather large, very rough, and very heavy.  It is more than I want to carry right now, and I don't think it will fit with the other things I have collected over the years."  With that, the young man walked away.

The young apprentice was very disappointed.  He decided he needed to make a few minor adjustments to the masterpiece.  He did not want to change it too much so he just cut it down a little in size, shaved off a few layers, and lightly sanded the rough spots.  He set the new masterpiece in the entrance of the woodshop again and waited.  It wasn't long before he noticed several people stopping to look at his creation. People would look at it, pick it up, feel the texture of it, and then set it back down.  Time after time the same thing happened, but nobody would buy it.  He decided to make a few more adjustments.  This time he cut it down drastically, he shaved off several more layers and sanded it down completely smooth.  It still had the look of the old masterpiece, but it was much smaller, much lighter, and much smoother.  Once again, he set the new masterpiece in the entrance of the old woodshop, and he waited.

Only minutes after putting the new and improved masterpiece in the entrance, the young doctor who had passed up the masterpiece weeks earlier walked by the woodshop again.  He immediately picked up the masterpiece, and with a big smile on his face, he said, "Now, this is more like it!  This is much easier to carry, a lot less cumbersome, and it feels so much better.  I will take it."  He paid the apprentice and said, "This will fit right in with all the other pieces I have collected over the years."

The apprentice quickly went to work making more masterpieces.  He noticed how the new design was easier and faster to build.  There were no long days turning into long nights, no callused hands, and very little sweat going into his work.  And, best of all, everyone loved his "new" masterpiece!  He had finally made it as a master carpenter.

On one particular day, several months later, a familiar smiling face wandered through the door of the old woodshop.  The master had returned to see how the apprentice was getting along.  The apprentice embraced his teacher and friend, and he could not wait to show him the new masterpiece.  However, the smile on the old man's face quickly turned into a frown.  "What is this?" he asked.  The apprentice eagerly replied, "Why, it is the 'masterpiece' that you taught me to make.  Don't you recognize it?"  "This looks nothing like what I taught you to build," the master replied. "You have made it into something completely different."  After seeing the disappointment on the master's face, he realized he had broken the heart of the master.  He had changed the masterpiece in order to please the people.  It was no longer a display of the heart and soul of the master.  It didn't stand apart, and it didn't represent the vision of the master anymore.  It was not the "masterpiece."  The old man turned his back to the apprentice, and with tears in his eyes, the master sadly walked out of the old workshop for the very last time.

Moral:  The Cross was the heart of God reaching out to a lost world.  Christ put sweat, tears, and blood into the vision God had for redemption.  The cross purifies us and sets us apart.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, "..Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  Jesus also said in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."
Unfortunately, many in the church today have taken the cross and shaved it down to be more appealing to the masses.  It is less offensive, easier to carry, and it fits in better with all the other religious ideas we have accumulated over the years.  In reality, it looks nothing like the original cross, and it looks nothing like the heart of God. One day the Master will return to see what we have done with the cross.  Will he turn and walk away with tears in His eyes?