Parable of Purchasing a Painting
Anyway, I was at Starbucks yesterday and clicked on the only Christian "radio station" I can listen to for more than a few minutes. Okay, I only listened to it for 5 minutes...that's more than a few though. ANYWAY, I heard a pretty cool story. So I have to do the only thing I can do. Steal it and use it for my own purposes. Mu-hahahaha.
Now, whether or not the content is true or not, it illustrates a great reality. If it's true and actually happened, cool. If not, it's a great parable.
William Randolph Hearst the great newspaper magnate of the first third of the 19th century used his prodigious fortune to collect art.
At one point he had his heart set on a certain painting. He was particularly annoyed at his underlings for what he perceived as their rather slow going in locating it. The man responsible said he had their best people working on finding it. They were scouring the whole earth searching.
Weeks went by, and Hearst's impatience didn't subside.
Then one day...
"Umm, sir we found it. We know the owner. We even know where it is."
"About time. Well..."
"It's you sir. You own it. It's in your warehouse. You've had it all along."
The point? As always, Christ. Let me explain...
You can shop around at any of the world's auction houses, the rich owners, and museums for the "painting" you seek. You can be looking for different teachings for sale, different methodologies cherished by the seemingly successful, or different doctrines in theological museums. But what you are looking for you already possess, you already have.
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Colossian 1:26-27
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Let's play it out...
Hmm, I hear at this auction house they have the painting, "DWJW: Doing What Jesus Would". At another they have this painting called "Driven (Ragged) by a Purpose". Interesting, but I'm looking for something else.
Let's try out the rich successful owners. The owner of a nice Georgian house in a ritzy neighborhood has "Tithe for life: The Method" painting. Across the cobblestone street another prominently displays his "Meditate Now to Know" piece right beside his "Quiet Time System" work. And then there's the rich owner who lives out in a country estate far away from the world who has a minimalist piece called "If you want to, it's BAD! Put that Down! Run away!".
Still nothing. Well, let's go to the theological museums, most are downtown.
There's the museum in a neoclassical building, well there are actually two buildings connected by a small creaky walkway, on buildings big and white and others small brown and overshadowed, it houses the piece "Dispensational". Another museum nearby is in a big non-descript modern box of a building, you have to sign all these promises to do old arcane things, it holds a piece called"Covenantal". Okay, let's try this rather gaudy museum with a lot of gold paint splattered on its plaster facade, it's famous piece is called "Word of Faith". Nope, not it. Well, there's this new postmodern museum on the other side of town that's got this crunchy alternative feel, their big painting is called "Emergent". And down by the river there's the museum that has fireworks every week...you know, for the kids...it's proud of its painting called "Charismatic".
But auction house after auction house you don't find it. No owner has it. It's not in any museums either. They each may have something familiar about them, but they are not IT.
Turns out you've had it all along.
You cannot find in other places what you already possess yourself. You cannot relate to, touch, hold, interact with something on the outside that you have in the inside.
Let's break out of the analogy. What we seek is a person, not an object. You can travel all about trying to BUY it with your time, your dedication, your commitment, and your best efforts at being a "good christian"...but it does not work. It cannot work. It must not work.
Now, whether or not the content is true or not, it illustrates a great reality. If it's true and actually happened, cool. If not, it's a great parable.
William Randolph Hearst the great newspaper magnate of the first third of the 19th century used his prodigious fortune to collect art.
At one point he had his heart set on a certain painting. He was particularly annoyed at his underlings for what he perceived as their rather slow going in locating it. The man responsible said he had their best people working on finding it. They were scouring the whole earth searching.
Weeks went by, and Hearst's impatience didn't subside.
Then one day...
"Umm, sir we found it. We know the owner. We even know where it is."
"About time. Well..."
"It's you sir. You own it. It's in your warehouse. You've had it all along."
The point? As always, Christ. Let me explain...
You can shop around at any of the world's auction houses, the rich owners, and museums for the "painting" you seek. You can be looking for different teachings for sale, different methodologies cherished by the seemingly successful, or different doctrines in theological museums. But what you are looking for you already possess, you already have.
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Colossian 1:26-27
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Let's play it out...
Hmm, I hear at this auction house they have the painting, "DWJW: Doing What Jesus Would". At another they have this painting called "Driven (Ragged) by a Purpose". Interesting, but I'm looking for something else.
Let's try out the rich successful owners. The owner of a nice Georgian house in a ritzy neighborhood has "Tithe for life: The Method" painting. Across the cobblestone street another prominently displays his "Meditate Now to Know" piece right beside his "Quiet Time System" work. And then there's the rich owner who lives out in a country estate far away from the world who has a minimalist piece called "If you want to, it's BAD! Put that Down! Run away!".
Still nothing. Well, let's go to the theological museums, most are downtown.
There's the museum in a neoclassical building, well there are actually two buildings connected by a small creaky walkway, on buildings big and white and others small brown and overshadowed, it houses the piece "Dispensational". Another museum nearby is in a big non-descript modern box of a building, you have to sign all these promises to do old arcane things, it holds a piece called"Covenantal". Okay, let's try this rather gaudy museum with a lot of gold paint splattered on its plaster facade, it's famous piece is called "Word of Faith". Nope, not it. Well, there's this new postmodern museum on the other side of town that's got this crunchy alternative feel, their big painting is called "Emergent". And down by the river there's the museum that has fireworks every week...you know, for the kids...it's proud of its painting called "Charismatic".
But auction house after auction house you don't find it. No owner has it. It's not in any museums either. They each may have something familiar about them, but they are not IT.
Turns out you've had it all along.
You cannot find in other places what you already possess yourself. You cannot relate to, touch, hold, interact with something on the outside that you have in the inside.
Let's break out of the analogy. What we seek is a person, not an object. You can travel all about trying to BUY it with your time, your dedication, your commitment, and your best efforts at being a "good christian"...but it does not work. It cannot work. It must not work.
posted by GBT at
Friday, November 10, 2006
