兒子
一個財主和他的兒子都很喜歡收集名畫。不論是畢加索或是拉發的畫﹐也成為他們收集的對象。他們常會坐著欣賞這些巨作。
越戰期間﹐兒子被征入伍。他表現勇敢﹐但有一次為著拯救同僚犧牲了生命。
當父親收到通知﹐他感到極大的悲痛。大約一個月後聖誕前夕﹐他聽到有人叩門。有一個年輕人在門外站著﹐手拿著一件大包裹。
他說﹕“先生﹐你不認識我﹐我是你兒子所救的那一位士兵。那天他救了很多同僚﹐但當他背負我到後方的時候﹐子彈打中他的脖子﹐他就這樣犧牲了。他常常提及你﹐也讓我知道你很愛藝術。”
年輕人將包裹交到父親的手。“我知道這不是甚麼藝術﹐我也不是甚麼大師﹐但我相信你的兒子會想你得到這個。”
父親打開包裹﹐原來是這年輕人所劃他兒子的畫像。他見到畫時整個人都顯得驚訝﹐因為這幅畫完全的表達了他兒子的神情。當父親的眼睛與畫像人物的眼睛相交﹐他就哀傷地下淚。
他對年輕人表達謝意﹐也願意付出一些金錢上的報酬。但青年人說﹕“先生﹐不用﹐這是一件禮物﹐我永遠也沒辦法報答你兒子為我所做的。”
父親將畫像掛在壁爐上。每當有客人來訪﹐他就會先帶他們去看這幅畫像﹐然後才讓他們看他其他的珍藏。
過來幾個月他安然去世。馬上就有一個大的拍賣會﹐很多名人都集中來看這些名作﹐甚至在此增添自己的收藏。
在前面首先可以見到兒子的畫像。拍賣商大力擊打他的木槌﹐說﹕“我們首先拍賣兒子的畫像﹐誰先開價﹖”經過一段靜默﹐房後面有人高聲說﹕“我們想看那些名作﹐跳過這一幅吧﹗”拍賣商卻繼續努力﹕“誰願意買這幅畫﹐請先開價﹐一百﹐兩百﹐都可以。”
人群開始鼓懆﹕“我們不是來看這幅畫﹐我們是來看名畫的﹐快拿一些真東西出來﹗”拍賣商仍堅持地說﹕“兒子﹗兒子﹗誰要兒子﹖”
最後﹐房後面有一個聲音﹐來自這個家族的園丁﹕“我願意出十塊錢”。對一個窮園丁來說﹐十塊錢已經是很多的了。
“我們已經有十塊錢﹐誰願意出二十塊錢﹖”“十塊錢賣給他吧﹐讓我們看其他的名畫。”“有人願意出十塊﹐有沒有人願意出二十塊﹖”
人群開始憤怒﹐他們來不是要看兒子的畫﹐而是要看其他的珍藏。拍賣商開始將木槌打在桌上﹐“十塊一次﹐兩次﹐賣出﹗”
坐在第二行的一個男人大聲說﹕“快點將收藏品拿出來﹗”拍賣商放下木槌﹐說﹕“對不起﹐拍賣已經完畢。”
“你不是還有其他的名畫嗎﹖”“當我被邀作拍賣商時﹐有人就告訴我遺囑裡有一個特項﹐我在之前是絕對不能公開的。這就是只有兒子的畫像可以拍賣﹐誰買到這畫像就可以得到家族的財產﹐包括所有名作收藏品。誰買到兒子畫像可以得到所有珍藏﹗”
上帝在兩千年前讓他的兒子為我們釘死在十架上﹐好像拍賣商所說﹐主的信息同樣是﹕“兒子﹗兒子﹗誰要兒子﹖”事實是﹐誰得到兒子就可以得到一切。
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 Vietnam 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 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 his 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 on 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.
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