When the Viet Nam 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 his 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 someone bid for
this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Take the son?
Another voice shouted 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 long time 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 a cruel 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.
--author unknown
