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 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 2,000 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.