A Christmas story needs to include elements of gift, love, joy and hope. It is a tale about those who are poor in spirit. It will bring a tear to the eye. Such a story from an unknown author follows:
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works.
When war broke out, the son enlisted. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father grieved deeply for his only son.
A month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood there with a large package in his hands. “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart. He often talked about you and your love for art.”
“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.” It was a portrait of his son. The soldier had captured the personality of his son. The father was so moved that his 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 he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them the other great works.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings with many influential people gathered for 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?”
A voice shouted, “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”
The auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”
Finally, a voice came from the back of the room. It was the 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.”
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”
A man 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. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who takes the son gets everything!”
This Christmas let us accept God’s Son.
