“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’…

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “ [Matthew 25]

Jesus said, “Follow me.” And by His grace we do. We follow Him in faith, then in baptism. We follow him in learning and discipleship. We follow him in caring actions. And in the end, we will be judged ultimately by what we have done (feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty something to drink, caring for the sick and marginalized, etc.).

Jesus said, “Follow me.” It’s his example that sets the standard.

“Te Deum – Prelude” by Charpentier, arranged for string trio
As you read this blog with the number three as its theme, enjoy this beautiful short piece arranged for violin, viola, and cello.

Yesterday: a day of note on three fronts
Martin Luther King Day: a day commemorating King’s lifelong legacy and freedom demonstration punctuated by his “I Have a Dream” speech. Read a few poignant words from his message: “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream…. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Inauguration Day: President Trump was sworn in as America’s 47th president. Former Ohio Senator JD Vance, at 40 years old, will become the third-youngest vice president in history. We ought to pray for the president and his administration as he begins his second term.

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame: Talk about a big event to conclude a big day. (More on this below.)

Three songs of hope
In 2015, a partnership was forged between Cleveland and Tel Aviv. The Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Orchestra, IdeaStream, and the Cleveland Institute of Music paired up with violinmaker Amnon Weinstein, who was restoring violins that were played by Jewish prisoners in the concentration camps. A concert with those restored instruments was later given at Maltz Performing Arts Center. “Violins of Hope,” as the project and concert was called, has become a worldwide phenomenon of hope and music.

I wish I could watch the documentary film The Lost Music of Auschwitz, which commemorates 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. British composer Leo Geyer spent eight years piecing together fragments of manuscripts found in the archives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and working to fill in the gaps left missing within the music. A new production show Geyer bringing the reconstructed compositions to life with his orchestra. Unfortunately, this short video is all we can see, as the film is only being aired in the UK.

About his work, Geyer says, “The purpose of my restoration work is to enable this music to be heard exactly as it would have sounded in Auschwitz. As a result, I have been a restorer, and not a composer. I have not had the opportunity to commit my own feelings into music, and nor did I know how I could. This was until, I discovered the story of violinist Jakub Segar. Like all incoming prisoners, he was stripped of his clothes and belongings. However, he could not bear to be parted with his violin, so stark naked, he performed for his life. He was spared from immediate death in the gas chamber and admitted to the orchestra. He could not read music, but he only needed to hear the melody once and he’d play it back perfectly. Testimonies describe him as the best violinist in the orchestra. So, in homage to Jakub, I wrote a solo violin composition drawing on Romani musical traditions. I poured my own emotion into this piece.”

How Saba Kept Singing is a documentary about how David “Saba” Wisnia survived Auschwitz by entertaining the Nazi prison guards with his beautiful singing voice. Saba and his grandson Avi set out on a journey to find the details of this powerful story in his hometown in Poland and inside Auschwitz.

They said it three times
From my seminary prof and mentor of many, Howard Hendricks: “Every (Christian) disciple needs three types of relationships in his life. He needs a ‘Paul’ who can mentor him and challenge him. He needs a ‘Barnabas’ who can come alongside and encourage him. And he needs a ‘Timothy,’ someone he can pour his life into.”

Very observant, Leonardo. No names, please: “There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.” [Leonardo da Vinci]

Baseball lost a fine ambassador this past week. Bob Uecker, known for his role in the film Major League, used his major league career as a player and announcer as the backdrop for a life that both supported baseball—and joked about it: “The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.”

Three Buckeye/Irish takeaways
Faith in Christ has been a significant part of both football programs this year. Many players—and both quarterbacks—make no bones about their faith in Christ. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame’s standout QB, recently commented after a game that he “looked up and said, ‘Jesus, whatever your will is for my life, I trust it 100 percent.’” About his quarterback, ND coach Marcus Freeman explains, “When you have a leader like Riley Leonard who is very outspoken about his faith and is very intentional about putting together Bible studies and helping his peers grow in their faith…it’s huge. It promotes a culture where you’re comfortable as an individual seeking out ways to grow in your faith.”

This summer in Columbus, some Ohio State players spoke Christ and their faith in him to nearly a thousand students. As a result of this event, 60 students chose to get baptized. Buckeye wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said of the event: “We were praying for years and years for an event like this, and we were praying with expectation—we serve a miracle-working God. So we definitely had an expectation when it came out, but God did increasingly and abundantly more than what we thought. So, we’re just so blessed and thankful.”

So, about that game. First, let me say: The sportsmanship on both sides was so noticeable and refreshing from the very start. And of course, we now have to salute our new national champions, THE Ohio State Buckeyes! I’m sure that many of you watched that game with the same bated breath as I did—at least until that outstanding pass play at 3rd and long with 2:45 left in the game. Notre Dame’s opening drive might have set an uneasy tone for the many Buckeye fans watching, but the combination of Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, and the rest of the Ohio State offense (not to mention the best college defense in the country) helped secure Ryan Day his first national championship as head coach. We’re singing Ohio’s praise indeed today.

Trinitarian prayer
“Good morning heavenly Father, good morning Lord Jesus, good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy upon me.
Amen.”
[John Stott]

Last week’s Tuesday Afternoon Quiz: What thread is common to all the above subheadings? They were all Bob Dylan song titles.