The days are shorter and the temperature is getting colder each day. The signs are all over: Christmas season is soon to come. In fact, when you go to the department stores or malls, you will hear Christmas songs being played. “A man will live forever more because of Christmas Day,” so goes a line of a song.
As financial crisis hits the world, people are now worried that they may not be able to celebrate Christmas lavishly. No more Christmas trees, Santa Claus, lanterns. Not even Christmas lights. To think of, Filipinos celebrate the longest Christmas in the world – starting from the first day of the month whose last three letters are “ber” as in September, October, November and December. It ends with the Feast of Epiphany (the first Sunday of January).
Without too much fanfare and festivity, I think Filipinos could now celebrate Christmas as it should be. Christmas is celebrated because of Jesus Christ and not because of food, gifts, and drinking. That should be what Christians should think about this season.
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family,” Sir Patrick Henry once said. “There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion.” Francis Bacon acclaimed: “There never was found in any age of the world, either philosopher or sect, or law, or discipline which did so highly exalt the public good as the Christian faith.”
Why is this so? “The radiant Christian is more concerned with carrying his cross than with complaining about his callouses. He remembers the harvests, not the hardships. He thinks about his friends, not his failures. He talks more about his blessings than his backaches, more about his opportunities than his operations,” William A. Ward answers.
Christmas – the Advent – is the first step of Calvary’s journey. “The coming of Christ to man was a journey no one had ever taken before – or since. But all can travel the road from man to God,” C. Neil Strait assures.
The precious portrait
As the happiest season of the year is coming, let’s pause for a moment and ponder some thoughts. We have to remember the reason for this Season. You may have heard the story that I am going to share, but allow me to tell it again:
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 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,” the man said looking at him. “Your son 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,” he said. “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,” the young man begged, “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 true auction
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,” the auctioneer announced. “Who will bid for this picture?”
A voice from 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 this 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. He raised his hand and shouted: “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,” the auctioneer said. “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, going twice… SOLD for $10!” the auctioneer declared.
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?” someone asked.
“I am sorry,” the auctioneer replied. “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.”
Ian McCrae points out: “Many who saw a Man hanging on a cross 2,000 years ago thought: ‘The Christian religion is dissolved.’ But it was not so. It is true now as it was then. The end is the beginning.”
