LIFE IN THE SON (Part
I)
It is mission
critical that we recognize and receive JESUS CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL
LIFE. One of my favorite stories tells us why, in an eloquent and
memorable manner:
A wealthy man and
his son loved to collect rare works of art. They owned many rare and
precious paintings, from Rafael to Picasso. Often during the evening
hours, they would sit together to admire and discuss those magnificent art
treasures.
When the Vietnam War
broke out, the son was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was very courageous
and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. When the father was
notified, he grieved deeply and inconsolably for his only son.
About a month later,
just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood
in the doorway holding 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. He died instantly. Often he spoke of you,
and your love for art.”
The young man held
out his package, wrapped in plain brown paper. “I know this isn’t
much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would want you
to have this.”
The father opened
the package. It was a beautiful portrait of his son, which had been
painted by the young soldier standing at his door. He stared in awe at
the way this soldier had captured the spirit and personality of his son in the
painting. The father was so drawn to his son’s eyes that his own welled
up with tears. He thanked the young man repeatedly and offered to pay him
for the portrait.
“No sir, I could
never repay what you son did for me. He saved my life. It’s a
gift.”
The father
immediately hung his son’s portrait over the mantle. Whenever visitors
came, he took them to see the portrait of his son before showing any of the
other great works he had collected.
Unfortunately, the
father died a few months later. There was a great auction of his paintings.
Many influential people gathered, excited about the opportunity to purchase
some of those great paintings for their collections. On the platform,
center stage, stood the portrait of the deceased man’s heroic son.
The auctioneer
pounded his gavel. “This evening, we start our bidding with the picture
of the deceased’s son. Who will bid for this portrait?” Absolute
silence prevailed. After a few moments, a voice from the back of the room
shouted, “We came to see the famous paintings. Just skip over this one.”
But the auctioneer
persisted, “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the
bidding? $100? $200?” Another voice, more angry this time,
boomed out: “No one wants to buy this painting. We came to see the Van
Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s, and the Picasso’s. Get on with the real
bidding!”
But still the
auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who will take the
son?”
Finally, a meek
voice spoke from the rear of the room. It was the longtime gardener of
the deceased father and his son. “I’ll pay ten dollars for this
painting.” And being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
“We have ten
dollars. Who will bid twenty?” Someone else had grown tired and
inpatient. “Give it to him for ten dollars, and let’s get on with
it!” The entire gathering had become quite agitated. They didn’t
want the picture of the son. They were seeking more worthy investments
for their art collections. So the auctioneer pounded his gavel and
announced, “Going once, going twice, sold for ten dollars!”
One man seated down
front remarked, “Now we can get on with the REAL collection!”
But the auctioneer
laid down his gavel. “I am sorry,” he announced, “but this auction is
over.” Someone shouted in shocked disbelief, “What about the other
paintings?” The auctioneer explained, “When I was called to conduct this
auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the deceased gentleman’s will that
could not be revealed until now. You see, only the painting of THE SON
would actually be auctioned. It had been arranged by THE FATHER that
whoever bought the painting of THE SON would inherit his entire estate,
including the priceless paintings. The man who takes THE SON…gets
everything!”
What an awesome
story!
OUR FATHER freely
gave HIS SON, approximately two millennia past, to die on a cruel cross.
Much like the auctioneer, HIS
MESSAGE for all of us today is: “THE SON, THE SON…WHO WILL TAKE THE
SON?” Because whoever takes THE
SON…gets EVERYTHING!
Stay tuned…more to
come tomorrow.
Sisters and
brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE
READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!
