This is great. Take a moment to read it; it will make
your day!
The ending will surprise you.
Take my 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 Vietnamconflict 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 this 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 somebody bid for this painting? Who will
start the bidding? $100, $200?’
Another voice angrily. ‘We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the
Van Gogh’s, 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.’
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!’
YHWHgave His son, over
2,000 years ago, to die on the Stake. 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!
FOR YHWHSO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHO-SO-EVER BELIEVES IN HIM NOT PERISH,
BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE…THAT’S LOVE
Please send this to your friends.