December 21, 2021 – Click here to listen
In the year 2000 I received the following from a reader:
A wealthy widower 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 morning, and it was me he was carrying to safety that day 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 his son’s eyes in the portrait that his own eyes welled up with tears.
He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the portrait. “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 super rich people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their own collections. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this painting of the son. Who will bid for it?”
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?” A man in the back angrily shouted, “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters” The auctioneer persisted, “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angrier by the moment. They didn’t want the painting of the son. They wanted the masterpieces 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.”
The crowd murmured, “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
God’s Christmas gift to us all is Jesus Christ and when we receive Him, we become heirs to His kingdom. Receive Him today! Won’t you?
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that
He gave His only Son that
whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.”