I recently learned of a painting that was sold for an absurd amount of money, titled: “Salvator Mundi”. Do you know the story?
The painting had been lost for centuries before being rediscovered. Its sale set a world record for the most expensive painting ever sold at the time. I’ll share that price with you in a moment.
Salvator Mundi, which translates: “Savior of the World”, is widely believed to be painted by Leonardo da Vinci, although I discovered there is a bit of debate on that topic.
The painting depicts Jesus Christ giving a blessing with one hand and holding a crystal orb in the other. Created around 1500, it vanished from public view, for hundreds of years and did not reappear until the 21st century!
Here is the incredible story behind it.
In 2005, the painting was purchased at an estate sale for less than $2,000 by a group of art dealers who believed it was a copy of a da Vinci. It was in poor condition, with layers of overpaint and damage from centuries of neglect.
The painting was restored, and after closer examination, art historians began to suspect that it might be an original da Vinci. After several years of rigorous testing credit was given to Leonardo by a team of experts.
Are you ready for this?...In 2017, Salvator Mundi was sold at Christie’s auction house in New York for just over $450 million!
I can’t help but think of that old saying: “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” This story is a great reminder about true value!
Yes, it sold for a ton of money, but its real worth is not in the price tag; Its real worth is in the message it conveys: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world: Salvator Mundi!
Just like this painting, we are also given new value in Christ. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." ESV
Our worth is not based on what the world sees, but on how God values us! And oh, how He loves you and me.
Even if we have been lost, neglected, or broken, God restores us, giving us a new purpose and a new identity! It gives me goosebumps when I really think about it.
In a world that values things by their price-tag, Jesus reminds us about true value in Matthew 6:19-21 He said, "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... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ESV
Salvator Mundi teaches us that the true value of anything, or anyone, comes not from earthly wealth, but from purpose and restoration. Just like the painting was restored to its rightful place, we, too, find our true worth and our rightful position in Christ.
Paul wrote: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the
: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV We are made new! We are restored! And our true value is found in that transformation.
by Jeanette Stark – Thursday, December 26, 2024
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