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 Christman, 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 abou you, and your love of 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 yourng 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 overseeing
the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their
collection. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who
will dib 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 auctioner persieted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will
start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice shouted angerily "W didn't come to see this painting..
We came to see the Van Gohs, 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 a 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 auctioner pounded the gavel. "Going once, towic, 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. When I was called to
conduct this auction, I was told of the 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 sone 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.