the prodigal son in Russia

At L' Hermitage museum in St Petersburg, Russia, there hangs a beautiful Rembrandt oil on canvas... it is called 'the return of the Prodigal son'.

I have never seen it in person, but my friend Paul Wilbur has, and told me about it... he has a reproduction of this painting on the wall of his office at the Mountain Home Christian Clinic. I strongly suggest you take a look at it:

http://picasaweb.google.com/timlmartin1222/Blog/photo#5141635612224546354

Paul told me there were a few things which struck him about the original...

It is a life size painting! Over 6 feet tall... and the lighting is spectacular... and its location in the museum means that you see it as you round a corner... and it is so breathtaking, most people literally stop dead in their tracks when it catches their eye.

The most spectacular thing Paul remembers about standing there seeing 'the prodigal son' is that all the 'light' in the painting emanates from the father's face...

It left him speechless for several minutes... he told me he simply stood there a wept.

The overwhelming feeling of viewing an original Rembrandt was singularly moving. But he told me that feeling paled by comparison to the painting's subject... the artist captured, in alarming detail, the story of the prodigal son's return.

I know the photograph I referenced above does not nearly do justice to the original... but I think you can see a couple things which are worth noting:

the prodigal son - his head is shaved, which is the mark of a slave (contrast this with the head and facial hair of the father and brother). His clothing is tattered, his shoes are worn out (one shoe has even fallen off)... he is on his knees, bowing, submissive. He appears... thoroughly defeated.

the father - open armed, welcoming, relieved... at peace. It seems the artist understood the Bible story pretty well, and the metaphor it represents... His head is cocked to one side and he has opened his cloak and totally enveloped his son. Notice that the left hand of the father is masculine, pressing and protecting... while his right hand is feminine, touching, holding, caressing...

the older brother - standing slightly above 'the scene', pious and holy. Hands folded, wearing the matching red cloak of his father... (some have written that he is holding a knife, plotting the murder of his treacherous baby brother, but I cannot see it in the photo).

the servant - standing ready to do the father's bidding (fatted calf, ring, new shoes, etc)

the 'court' member - seated beside the father, legs crossed casually, fairly noncommittal.

the mother - hard to see, barely visible in the top left corner of the painting, waiting to see how her husband reacts to her son's return...

I printed out the photo and hung it on my office wall. So that every time I look up, I am reminded of my Father who has an intentionally pitiful memory and welcomes me back and treats me like His own... because I am. And though I fall (which I do often), I know I am His. Mark Hall from Casting Crowns sings:

.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.
I am Yours.

God will not forget us or abandon us or disown us. He is not a quitter or a leaver. He waits for us, watching for us, ready to celebrate our return.

Perhaps the reason this touches us so deeply is because this is our story. This is the synopsis of the Bible in one story, captured in one painting... it's the story of God, reconciling fallen man to Himself.

Wow.