87 Paintings
- By Anonymous
Many years ago, there was a wealthy man who was an avid art collector. He had an impressive collection, with rare works from classic artists such as Rembrandt to modern artists such as Van Gogh. The wealthy man had one son, his only child, who also loved these paintings. The wealthy man and his son would spend hours together admiring these magnificent paintings.
When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son volunteered to do service for his country. He was a very courageous soldier. He died in battle rescuing another soldiers in his regiment. The wealthy man was eventually notified of his son's death and he grieved very deeply.
A few months later, just before Christmas, the wealthy man received a knock on the door. He opened the door to find a young man solemnly standing before him with a package in his hand.
"Sir," the young man said, "you do not know me, but your son sacrificed his own life to save me and other soldiers when we were pinned down by enemy gunfire in battle. I was wounded and carried me to safety, but he was hit by a bullet that pierced his heart and killed him instantly."
"Sir," continued the young man, "your son often talked about you and your love for art. I know this isn't much, and I am not much of an artist myself, but I think your son would have liked you to have this."
The young man held out the package to the wealthy man and beckoned him to take it. The wealthy man took the package and unwrapped it. It was a portrait of his son as painted by the young man. The wealthy man stared in awe and wonder at the way the young man was able to capture and portray the personality of his beloved son in the painting. The wealthy man was so drawn to the eyes of his son in the painting that his own eyes welled up with tears.
The wealthy man gratefull thanked the young man and offered to pay for the painting, but the young man refused.
"No, sir," the young man said, "I could never repay what your son did for me. Please take this as a free gift."
The wealthy man proudly displayed his son's portrait over his mantle. He would always show off this painting to his visitors before any of the other works of art in his collection.
A year later, the wealthy man died and there was to be an auction of all the paintings in his collection. Many influential people and rich art lovers gathered at the mansion where the wealthy man had lived. Everyone was excited for a chance to buy one of these rare and exquisite paintings.
The portait of the son sat on the platform as the auctioneer pounded his gavel. "Who will bid for this picture?" he asked.
There was silence in the room.
A voice from the side of the room shouted out, "Can we skip this painting? We want the works of the masters, not some amateur!"
However, the auctioneer persisted. "Who will start the bidding? Do I hear one hundred dollars?"
An noisy murmuring was heard throughout the room. Another voice yelled out, "We want to see the Picassos, the Raphaels! Please stop wasting our time with this picture!"
However, the auctioneer ignored the voice and cried out, "The son! The son! Who will take the son?"
Finally, a voice was heard in the very back of the room. "I will bid ten dollars."
It was the long-time gardener of the wealthy man. He had worked faithfully for the wealthy man and his son for many years and come to see the paintings, especially the one of the wealthy man's son, for one final time. Being a relatively poor man, he could never hope to bid on any of the paintings. However, he decided to bid all the money he had for the portait of his beloved master's son.
"I have ten dollars, ten dollars! Do I hear twenty?" asked the auctioneer.
"Just give it to him for ten dollars!" yelled out another voice. The mood of the crowd was turning from restlessness to anger. No one else wanted the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their private collections.
"Going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman in the gardening hat!" the auctioneer pounded his gavel.
"Finally!" someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on to the good stuff!"
However, the auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but the auction is now closed."
There was a collective gasp of shock and disbelief in the audience.
"What do you mean, the auction is over?" someone cried out, "What about the resting of the paintings?"
"I apologize everyone," the auctioneer answered, "but when I was called upon to conduct this auction, there was a secret stipulation in the will which I was not allowed to reveal until now. Only the painting of the son was to be auctioned. Whoever one that painting would inherit the entire estate, including all the paintings in the collection! The man who gets the son gets everything!"
John 3:16 states that "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus died on the cross for us 2,000 years ago. God's message then is the same as it is now. "Who will take the Son?" Will you?
- Recommended reading: Matthew 27:17-54
