John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
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 Vietnam 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 everything!"
God gave his Son 2000 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.
Dear Lord, we thank You for dying on the cross for each
of us. Help us each take the Son. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
