Carl Sabatino was attending the deathbed of an aunt whom he dearly loved. Faithfully, he stayed by her side as much as he could until she passed on. Just three days before her death, she whispered a final message to her nephew: Don’t forget, Carl, to look under the sewing machine.
What did she mean by that? Carl didn’t think much of it at first, as he was busy with funeral arrangements and other things after his aunt passed on, but after a while he remembered what she had said and became curious. He decided to look under the sewing machine.
At first, he didn’t see anything of value. Just a stack of old newspapers dating back to the 1950s. But then he realized there was something hidden inside of the papers! Carefully peeling the papers back, he found a painting. But was there any real value in his aunt’s gift? He remembered seeing this painting hanging in his aunt’s home during his childhood days when he would come over to her house to play. He had called it “the woman in the fuzzy hat.” Her husband, who had an eye for art, had purchased it from a London vendor for 10 euros (about $30) during World War II.
But then he got to thinking — his aunt had thought it important enough to hide it away and to make a point of mentioning it just before her death. Obviously, she saw great value in it. He also noticed that the signature of the artist was “Picasso.” Was it really Pablo Picasso, whose original paintings sold for millions or was it just a copy? He knew a little bit about art and knew that the painting was not Picasso’s usual style. Maybe its value was just sentimental! To satisfy his curiosity, he decided to have an art expert look at it.
The local expert that he took it to studied it for a while and then came to a conclusion — the painting was definitely a fake! Enormously disappointed, Carl collected his painting. Then he began to think ... the “expert” had been too quick to dismiss the painting as an original! He wanted a second opinion. He wanted someone who would spend more time with the painting and check it out thoroughly. Following his instincts, he took the painting to another expert.
A Deeper Look
Many people are just like the first “expert.” They don’t make diligent search, or take seriously, the meaning of life and why we are here. They don’t care to know of their accountability toward a holy God. They casually dismiss the Bible as the Word of God, and they merely admit that Jesus was a “good man,” not realizing their need of a Savior and that Jesus is the Savior of sinners. Passing into eternity, they lose every blessing and joy that they could have had, only to suffer the consequences of their neglect with unending regret and torment.
The second expert examined the painting with the care that it deserved. Pablo Picasso was not only a famous painter, but he was also a talented sculptor, play writer and stage designer, along with ceramics and mosaics. His circle of friends was famous — Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and others. If the painting was indeed an original, its value would be enormous, but how to prove it?
Slowly, the clues began to emerge. The biggest clue was a partial fingerprint on the edge of the canvas. If it was Pablo Picasso’s fingerprint, it would go a long way in proving that the painting was an original. Fortunately, Picasso’s fingerprints were on file. This is where we have a story within a story!
Pablo Picasso (b. 1881, d. 1973) was born in Spain but spent most of his adult years in France. It was during this time that the famous painting of Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. It turns out that the thieves were good friends of Picasso, so as part of the investigation Picasso’s fingerprints were taken. They have been on public record ever since this unusual event. The partial fingerprint proved to be Pablo Picasso’s, determined by forensic specialists!
The next big clue was in the paint itself. A sample was sent away for testing. It turned out to be gum bichromate, a paint that Picasso had experimented with in the 1930s. The expert believed that Carl’s painting was actually a recreation of a famous painting named “Woman With a Cape,” which is now hanging in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Picasso had created this painting in 1901 when he was just 19 years old. There was no doubt now that Carl’s painting was authentic!
A Deeper Truth
Because the second expert made a careful and critical examination of Carl’s painting, the truth was revealed. Anyone who makes an earnest and honest examination of God’s Word, the Bible, will find the truth. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:1313And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)). The Bible tells us that we are sinners, hopelessly lost and rebelling against a pure and holy God, each one of us having turned to our own way and heading for the judgment of God because no sin can enter into heaven.
The Bible, too, has a story within a story! Not only does it tell of man’s fall and hopeless degradation before God, but it also tells us of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. It tells us of God’s love for each one of us, and how He sent His only begotten Son to die on Calvary’s cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. It tells us that when we repent to God of our sins and put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven and we will go to be forever with the Lord in heaven when we die. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). When we realize our desperate need of a Savior, and there is “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:2121Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)), then it is true “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
The Deepest Gift
The next step was to establish the real value of the painting. Carl was thrilled when an expert who specialized in Picasso’s art signed an appraisal stating the painting was an original, which is now entitled “Undiscovered in Blue.” It has since been valued at $30 million! His aunt, who had hidden the painting for 70 years, had given him a wonderful gift and an enormous inheritance! Carl’s experience was so unusual that he wanted to share it with others, and he wrote a book about it, detailing his 13-year journey with the painting after his aunt’s death in 2004.
Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus through faith is given a gift of far greater value than $30 million. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9)). Jesus Himself said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-2827My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28)). Are you one of Jesus’ sheep? Choose to follow Him today, no matter the cost, and you will inherit eternal life. Neglect or reject Him and you will experience the eternal wrath of God!
God really does delight to give and to bless. Find out more in Bene Decere.