I wrote this at the end of 2014

Fourteen years from the Millennium seemed a long time and now we are into a new year – again!!

I have spent much of last week preparing to lead a pilgrimage to Israel – a new experience for me.

And with the new it is good to recall the old.

Our Gospel reading is nearly 2000 years old, and yet we need to look at it afresh.

I would like to look at it again by telling you a story, which is probably apocryphal.

At the beginning of the last century a very wealthy man shared a passion for art collecting with his devoted young son.

Together they travelled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection.

Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed father looked on with paternal joy as his only son became an experienced art collector.

The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind gave his father great pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

In 1914 as winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man was called up to serve

his country.

After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram that he had been dreading. His beloved son had been killed in action.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness.

The joy of the Christmas season, that he and his son had so looked forward to, was gone.

On Christmas morning, there was a knock at the door.

As the old man opened the door, he was greeted by a young soldier with a large package in his hand on leave from the Western front. He introduced himself to the man by saying,

"I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few

moments? I have something to show you."

And as the two began to talk, the soldier told the old man how his son had told him of his father’s love of art.

"I’m an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this."

As the old man unwrapped the package, he saw that in the package was a portrait of his son.

Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in detail.

Overcome with emotion, the father hung the portrait of his son over the fireplace, moving aside millions of pounds worth of art to make space for it

The old man then sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.

The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any of pieces of art for which museums around the world clamoured.

Ten years later, the old man died and the art world waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction.

According to the father’s will, all the art works were to be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received the greatest gift – the portrait of his son

The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings.

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list.

It was the painting of the father’s son.

The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent.

“Who will open the bidding with £100?” No one spoke.

Finally someone said, “Who cares about that painting. It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s move on to the good stuff.”

The auctioneer responded, “No, we have to sell this one first. It is in the Will. Now, who will bid for the son?”

Finally, a neighbour of the old man offered £50.

“That’s all I have” he said “I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.”

The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice…gone.” The gavel fell.

Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can bid for the real treasures!”

The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and announced that the auction was over.

Everyone was stunned.

Someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, it’s over? We didn’t come here for a painting of the old man’s son. There is millions of pounds worth of art still in here! What’s going on?”

The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the old man’s will, whoever received the painting of his son…would get all of the rest.”

And that is the real meaning of Christmas too.