Take My Son

God's Warrior · Take My Son

Take My Son
Author unknown
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He he gave His only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

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 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 the
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.