I recently came across a touching story about a rich man and his son who were collecting valuable works of art. When the war broke out, the son left to fight and heroically fell while trying to save the life of a comrade. Not long after the war, someone knocked at their father’s door. When the father opened the door, he saw an unknown young man standing on Prague with a bulky package in his hands.
‘Lord, you don’t know me,’ said the young man, ‘but I’m the soldier your son saved at the cost of his own life. He carried me wounded to safety when he was hit by a bullet and died instantly. Before that, he often told me about you and your love of art.’ The young man handed the old man his package. ‘I know it won’t bring him back to you, but I wanted you to have it.’
In the package was a portrait of the son painted by the young man. The father hung the effigy above the fireplace, and from then on, every time he showed masterpieces from his collection to all the visitors, he began with a portrait of his son.
When the father died, an auction was held. A portrait of my son was placed on the painting easel next to the stage. The auctioneer raised the hammer. ‘Let’s start with a portrait of our son. First offer for this painting?’ Silence. Then the hall said: ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one!’ The auctioneer did not allow himself to be thrown off balance. ‘Son. Who will marry a son?’
After a short break, someone finally called, he was a gardener who worked for the family for many years. ‘I’m offering $10.’ He was embarrassed that it was so little, but he couldn’t afford more.
‘We have an offer of $10. Anyone offer 20?’
‘Give it to him for 10 and get away with it!’
’10 dollars the first time, $10 the second time, sold for $10!’ The bidder hit the hammer. ‘The auction is over,’ he announced. ‘When I was invited to carry out the auction, I was informed of the secret condition in the last will: only the effigy of the son will be auctioned, and whoever buys it will inherit the entire property. The man who married the son will receive everything!’
Like the auctioneer today, God asks us: ‘Who will marry a son?’ Because, as in this story, whoever marries a son gets it all.
author unknown
