Parable of an Unwanted Painting

[This was presented by my friend and colleague, Glen VanderKloot, in his daily email today.]

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A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

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 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 yelled
angrily, "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the
Van Goghs and 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 2,000 years ago to die on the 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 to me

Scripture
 1 John 5:12 TNIV

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have
the Son of God does not have life.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for giving your son to die on the cross
so that I might live.  Help me every day to renew
my faith and commitment to Jesus. Amen

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