Who'll Take the Son?
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 Viet Nam conflict broke out the son went to war. He was very
courageous and died in battle while rescuing another solider. 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
the 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 swelled up with tears. He thanked the young man
and offered to pay for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay
what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the picture over
his mantel. Every time visitors came to his home, he took them to see
the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of
art that 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"? Another voice shouted angrily, "We
didn't come to see this painting. We came to se 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 will 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 us see the
masters." $10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They did not want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, going, twice, SOLD for
$10!" A man sitting in the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with
the auction!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I am sorry, the
auction is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was
called to conduct this auction, I was told a secret stipulation in the
will. I was not allowed to reveal the 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 2000 years ago to die on a 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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