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| Submitted by Joyce Biggs Author Unknown |
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A
wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.
They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to
Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great
works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He
was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing
another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply
for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a
knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a
large package in his hands.
He
said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom
your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he
was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the
heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and
your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I
know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I
think your son would have wanted you to have this."
The
father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son,
painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the
soldier had captured the personality of his son in the
painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own
eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and
offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could
never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The
father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time
visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait
of his son before he showed them any of the other great
works he had collected.
The
man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction
of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited
over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to
purchase one for their collection.
On
the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer
pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this
picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to
see the famous paintings. Skip this one."
But
the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this
painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting.
We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with
the real bids!"
But
still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll
take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was
the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10
for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could
afford.
"We
have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The
crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of
the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their
collections.
The
auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for
$10!"
A
man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on
with the collection!"
The
auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is
over."
"What about the paintings?"
"I
am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was
told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed
to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the
painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that
painting would inherit the entire estate, including the
paintings.
The
man who took the son gets everything!"
God
gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like
the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son,
who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
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