The Portrait

Whoever Takes the Son Gets It All

Years ago, a very wealthy man shared a passion for art collecting with his devoted young son.

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

They soon collected priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others soon.

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

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

In 1914 as winter approached, the nation was soon engulfed in war and the young man was called up to serve his country.

After a few short months, his father received the telegram that he had been dreading.

His beloved son had been killed in action.

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 often talked about his father and his love of art.

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

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

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

Overcome with emotion, the father hung the portrait of his son over the fireplace, moving aside millions of dollars 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 the pieces of art , that museums around the world were clamouring for.

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

According to the old man’s Will, all the art works had to be auctioned on Christmas Day - the day on which he had received his 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 however began with a painting that was not on anyone’s list.

It was the painting of the father’s son by the young soldier.

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. Now, who will bid for the son?”

Finally, a neighbour of the old man offered £50. “That’s all I have. 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 on the real treasures!”

The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and then 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 are millions of dollars 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 too is the Christian message.

He or she who receives God’s one and only Son – Jesus gets all that God has to offer us.

St John said this about Jesus and his mission.

12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (Jn 1:12-13)

Being a Christian isn’t about “being good” and conforming to human standards - nice as those things are.

The world, in which we live - demands conformity.

It demands that we live and think and act just like everybody else.