A couple weeks ago, I received an invitation to an art auction here in Raleigh, in which the funds go to arts in education programs. I've gone to the annual event two years now. Upon reading the invitation, I was reminded of this story.
There was a man who lived in France. This man was a curator of fine art. It is said that he had quite a collection of valuable and priceless art pieces and artifacts. This man was very wealthy, but yet very humble. This man was a widower, whose wife had died while giving birth to his only son. For that reason, the son was very precious and beloved of his father. As time passed the widower acquired more artwork and artifacts, while at the same time, taught his son the craft of his profession.
The son went to the best schools and worked side by side with his father. There was a war in one of the bordering countries, and the son entered the military draft. With a hesitant blessing from his aging father, the son went off to fight in this war. The son wrote to his father as often as he got a chance. One day, about nine months after the son left for the war, a French military official paid the elderly widower a visit. The official was polite and the elderly widower invited him in. He was invited to sit down, and then delivered the most painful news to the old man. He informed him that his only son, had been killed in the war. Upon hearing this news the elderly widower wept bitterly for his son. The official told him that he had something for him and went to get it. Upon returning in the house, the official presented the elderly widower of a portrait of his son that was painted by one of his son's colleagues in the military, and told the man that his son wanted him to have it. The elderly widower gracefully accepted this immortalized version of his son and began to prepare for his son's burial.
Over the next week, the funeral arrangements were made and the son was given a dignified military burial in the catholic rite. The portrait of the elderly widower's son hung in the living room of his home. Ten years later, the elderly widower died peacefully in his sleep. The art world was rocked and stunned by the death of this curator of art. Soon after the elderly widower was buried, all of his art work and artifacts would be auctioned off. Such an event drew the who's who of the art world from every corner of the globe. On the day of the auction, people gathered dressed in their finery, with such anticipation, eagerness, auction paddles and wine. The excitement of the event was magical. The auctioneer began the bidding. However, he began the bidding with the portrait of the elderly widower's son. Much to the dismay of the crowd, people began to gripe and complain. Why start the auction with this old portrait? Let's bid on the more valuable objects; jeered someone from the crowd.
The auctioneer then stated that upon the request of the deceased widower, the portrait of the son be sold first. This still did not appease the crowd. Then, a man in his early thirties began to bid on the portrait. There were no opposing bids and the man bought the portrait of the son for 300 euros. This same man was the artist who painted the portrait, and felt a sense of obligation and respect to both the son and the deceased widower. After the purchase was closed, the auctioneer announced that's it. The auction is over.
The crowd was stunned beyond belief, saying this is ridiculous, there's only been one piece sold. This is maddening! This is preposterous! The auctioneer then said that upon request of the deceased widower, whoever bought the portrait of his only son as the first item for bid would receive the entire collection. Shocked and astonished, the patrons and guests left. The moral of the story is simply this, "he or she who has the son, has everything." The son represents our savior, Jesus and the elderly widower represents God. He wants us to have everything. Think about the one who became poor that we might be rich, not materially, but spiritually. Got Jesus?
Peace,
Karsten
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