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 Viet Nam
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 his
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 someone bid for this painting?  Who
will start the bidding?  $100, $200?"  Another voice shouted 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
in 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 a cruel 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. 
--author unknown