Good story I found not too long ago:
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso, Van Gogh, to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the works of art together. 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 deeply grieved for his son.
About a month later just before Christmas there was a knock at the father's door. A young man stood in the doorway with a 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. He was carrying me over his shoulder when a bullet struck his chest and died. He often talked about you and your love for art." The young man held out the package. "I know this is not much, and I am not a great artist, but I though 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 how the portrait captured the characteristics of his son. The father was drawn to the eyes so much that his eyes began to tear up. He thanked the young man and offered to pay. The young man refused and said, "You could never repay me for what your son did. It is a gift!"
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Everytime visitors came to his home he always made sure to take them to see this painting before any of the other works of art he had collected.
The father died a few months later. There was to be an auction of all the famous paintings. Many influential people gathered and were excited to see the paintings and waited for the opportunity to bid on these paintings.
On the platform first was the painting of the son. The auctioneer began the bidding. "Who will bid on this picture of the man's son?" The auctioneer told the battle story of the painting and who gave it to the man. There was total silence. Not one bid. Someone in the back shouted, "Bring out the Remembrants or Monets. We don't want to see this picture! We don't care about this man's son." But the auctioneer persisted and asked for $200, then lowered to $100. No one would bid on the painting. The crowd grew angry and yelled, "We did not come to see this painting! Get on with the real bids!" The auctioneer said, "Who will take this painting?"
A voice in the back came from a homeless man, "All I have is $4.00. Will you take that?" The auctioneer exclaimed, "$4.00, who will go $5.00? Anyone?"
"Give it to him for $4.00. Get on with the real auction!" The people were beginning to shout for they did not want to see the picture of the son. They wanted the pictures that would be an investment to their collections. The auctioneer pounded his gavel and said, "Going once, going twice, sold for $4.00." A man in front shouted, "Good, now let's see the masters." The auctioneer laid down his gavel and said, "I'm sorry, the auction is now closed."
"What about the paintings?" the crowd said. "I am sorry, when I was called to conduct this auction, I was told under strict stipulations to auction the painting of the son first. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought the painting of the son would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything."
Much like this story, the person who will take God's son will get everything. The son, the son, who will take the son? Will it be you?
Live it,
BB