The Importance of The Son

 

 Introduction

The following story is most likely an Urban Legend…

 This upstate New York man was rich in almost every way. His estate was worth millions. He owned houses, land, antiques and cattle. But though on the outside he had it all, he was very unhappy on the inside. His wife was growing old, and the couple was childless. He had always wanted a little boy to carry on the family legacy. 

Miraculously, his wife became pregnant, and gave birth to a little boy. The boy was severely handicapped, but the man loved him with his whole heart. When the boy was 5, his mom died. The dad grew closer to his special son. At the age of 13, the boy's birth defects cost him his life, and the father died soon after, of a broken heart.

The estate was to be auctioned before hundreds of bidders. The first item offered was a painting of the boy. No one bid. They waited like vultures for the riches. Finally, the poor housemaid, who had helped raise the boy, bid $5 for the picture and easily took the bid.

To everyone's shock, the auctioneer ripped a handwritten will from the back of the picture. This is what it said, "To the person who thinks enough of my son to buy this painting, to this person I give my entire estate." The auction was over. The greedy crowd walked away in shock and dismay.

How many of us have sought after what we thought were true riches only to find out later that the Father was preparing to give us His entire estate if we only sought after His Son alone?

 

Worldliness and Material Gain

 As we see in this story, the people at the auction were bound and determined to get their hands on the wealth of the father more than they cared about his son. How much more do we see the same thing, today, in that people want to get good gifts, which come from God (Jas. 1:17) and yet reject His Son, the most perfect gift given to the world (John 3:16).  The Jews rejected Jesus in His time and continue to do so even today. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There are others who rather seek the treasure of the world and put God second. The apostle John warned in 1 John 2:15-16, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.

Peter adds to this thought with an additional warning in 2 Peter 3:10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

 Whatever is of this world is temporary and will disappear forever at the end of time. It won’t do you any good come the Day of Judgment. 

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, 23, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

 

Conclusion

As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. To focus on material things, will have you striving for them.

One of the best ways to be less aggressive towards worldly things to change your mindset on what’s truly important. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:1-2, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.