The Son and The Auction

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Michelangelo. They were very close and they would sit together admiring their great findings.

Unfortunately, the son was drafted off to war. He was very brave. However, he was killed while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for many years. The death of his only son shook him up so badly that he lost his will to live.

A couple of months later, there was a knock at the door.

A young man stood at the door with a large, beautiful picture frame in his hands.
He said to the father:
 

- Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier your son gave his life for. He saved many lives, including mine. While he was carrying me to safety, a bullet struck him in the chest and he died instantly. He often talked about you and your love for art.

The young man held out the picture frame and said:
- 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 tore through the packaging that protected the frame. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young soldier. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the portrait.

- 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. A few months later, the man died. There was to be a great auction of his paintings.

Many influential people gathered with excitement to purchase such great works of art. Among the valuable pieces sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel and announced the beginning of the auction:
- We will start the bidding with this picture of “THE SON”. Who will bid first? How much will you bid for this portrait?

There was silence… Then, a voice in the back of the room shouted:
- We want to see the famous paintings: Van Gogh, Picasso!

But the auctioneer persisted:
- Will somebody bid for this painting? $100, $200?

After the auctioneer persisted for a while, another voice answered:

- I’ll give $10 for the painting.
It was the father’s old gardener. Since he was a very poor man, this was all he could afford.

- We have $10! Who will bid $20? – shouted the auctioneer.

No one said a word. So, the auctioneer pounded the gavel:
- Going once. Going twice. SOLD for $10!

A man sitting on the second row shouted:
- Now let’s get to the valuable pieces of the collection!

The auctioneer laid down his gavel and said:
- I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but the auction is over.

- But, what about the paintings? – asked the impatient crowd.

- I am sorry, said the auctioneer.
- When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. Only the painting of “THE SON” would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who bought “THE SON” gets everything!

In Conclusion:
He who has the Son of God has eternal life and everything that comes along with it; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. He will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone along with the devil, demons, death, hell, the Beast and the False Prophet.
1 John 5.12; Revelation 20.10,14,15

Those who believe, amen. Those who don’t believe, patience.