Sunday, June 21, 2009

Father & Son: Who Will Take The Son?

I dedicate this song to my two earthly fathers - my biological tatay - Artaban Marcos Abad and to my papa-in-law Ponciano Ricafort Muga. Even though both of them are no longer with us now, I will always remember them for all of the life's lessons, values and principles that I and my family have learned from both of them.


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The following story is one that never gets old. It has been passed around from one email-box to another...it can be found on a lot of websites, and so many times it has been used as sermon illustration in pulpits.

This is a great story! Take some moment to read it (again). I'm sure it will make your day!

Who will take the SON?


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 this 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 somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, 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 long time 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.

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!' This is one of the stories that never gets old...it has been passed in emails, letters, websites, church services since the year 2004, maybe before that! God Bless!

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the 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.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. John 3:16a
Now that's LOVE on Father's Day!

10 comments:

  1. Wow! U This story has stayed, is staying ang will stay young forever, indeed!

    Happy Father's Day, Tito NJ! (,"o

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  2. first time kong nabasa tong story na to. very inspiring! belated happy father's day!

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  3. Happy father's day po kuya NJ at sa iyong tatay..

    a very inspiring story poh! :)
    thank you for sharing it with us

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  4. Oh...this story I read 10 years ago..ilang dekada man ang dumaan hindi ito mabubura sa isipan ng lahat..Sana lahat ng tao ay katulad ng isang hardenero - Sana tanggapin ng lahat si Jesus ng sa ganun mapasaatin ang lahat!

    Happy fathers day, Sir!

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  5. whatta tale well made, given en live..hapi dadi day, tatay NJ :D

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  6. The story is great! Despite the mass and tonnes of harvesting of shrimps, you still have tile to pause and post about the father's day. You're such a great friend, a great father, a wise and young at heart leader. Keep it up.

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  7. Truly a great story.

    Belated Happy Father's Day.

    God bless you.

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  8. It may have been circulating the web for a long time, but this is the first time I read it.

    That was a good story and an approriate post on this special occassion.

    Belated Happy Father's day, NJ.

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  9. Napakaganda ng story bro. una napag isip mo ko. but at the end of the story ay very inspiring.
    Belated happy papa's day! It better late than never :)

    Ok lang bro na i republish ko itong story?

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  10. And no matter how many times I read this story, lagi pa ring akong napapaluha...

    Thanks for the reminder because I must admit, sometimes I tend to forget about the Son...that if I have the Son, the Father gives me everything else I need.

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