POWERFUL PARABLE - Take a Look!

POWERFUL PARABLE - Take a Look!
-Author Unknown.

                          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 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 long-time 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!'

                            God gave His son over 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?'