WHO'LL TAKE THE SON? (Author Unknown)
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
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?" 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 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 every thing!"
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.
