Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son
Rembrandt van Rijn is considered as
one of the greatest painters of all time. Known as the “painter of light,” he
had a profound knowledge of the human heart and a deep faith to express
profound emotions and eternal truths. Biblical stories inspired Rembrandt
throughout his life. Today’s scripture, Luke 15:11-32, is one that perhaps inspired
him most and became his last great painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. This painting is more than 8½ feet
tall, and the figures are life-sized. At first sight, the spotlighted prodigal
son immediately draws our attention – his bare feet, ragged clothes and shaven
head. But then, the light swells and ascends to the father’s illuminated face,
across his brow, and then shoots like an arrow across the picture to the face
of the other son – the elder son, who remained at home. The more we listen to
this parable told by Jesus Christ our Lord, the more we realize that the
prodigal person is not just one, but three: the
younger son, the elder son, and the
father.
The Younger Son
First, the younger son. One day he said to his father, “Father, give me
the share of property that is coming to me” (v. 12), then he packed all his
belongings and left for a distant country. Let us take a pause, and think about
the implications of a son’s request for his inheritance while the father is
still living. Has anyone of you made such a request in your life? Never!
Why? Because the request means, “Father, I want you to die,” or “Father, I
cannot wait for you to die.” And the son’s leaving to the distant country is an
act of rebellion.
When Adam was created, from the beginning he could hear the voice that says, “You are my Beloved. I am well pleased with you.” But Adam wanted to be a god himself and chose to rebel against God and moved to a distant country. Adam’s rebellion. God said to Israel, “You are my Beloved. You will be my people, and I will be your God.” But the Israelites were not satisfied in God and constantly ran after other gods to satisfy their desires. And God said to them, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jer 2:13). Israel’s rebellion. If we really pay attention, we can hear the voice say, “You are my Beloved. You are my joy.” But we too constantly seek our security and happiness in a distant country – in someone or something other than God. “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”
But God’s grace is greater than our sin, stronger than our rebellious heart. In Rembrandt’s painting the younger son is dispossessed of everything, except for one thing, his sword – the short sword hanging from his hips. This is the symbol of his sonship, the sign of God’s grace. Although he became a drunkard, beggar, outcast, the sword was a constant reminder that says, “Remember, who you are! You are still the beloved son.” Then, finally he came to his senses and resolved to turn back. That’s the power of God’s grace.
The Elder Son
Then, there is the elder son.
When he heard the news that his younger brother was back, and his father has
killed the fattened calf to celebrate, he became angry and refused to go in (v.
28). Outwardly, the elder son was faultless. He did all the right
things. He was obedient, dutiful, and hardworking. People respected him,
admired him, and praised him. But inwardly, he was lost as much as his
younger brother. All of sudden, it became so obvious that he was resentful,
unkind, harsh, judgmental, self-righteous. This elder son is also the prodigal
son.
When Jesus was sharing this parable, there were two types of audience groups. Luke 15 begins this way: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (vv. 1-2). The younger son symbolizes the lost (the tax collectors and sinners), and the elder son represents the self-righteous (the Pharisees and the scribes). In this context Jesus tells three parables in a row: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. All these three parables have the same message, that is in verse 10, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
But the elder son refuses to join and celebrate together. Instead of rejoicing over the father’s mercy and generosity, he grumbles, compares, and is jealous. He doesn’t know his father’s non-comparing love. In God’s household, all people are uniquely and perfectly loved. But the elder son believes, “If my younger brother has favor from the father, then he must be more loved by the father than I.” I don’t know about you, but for me, I see myself in the elder son. When I hear the news that another church is thriving, it’s hard for me to rejoice with them. When another colleague does a wonderful job and gets acknowledged, I easily feel excluded and resentful. But Jesus says, “In the house of my father there are many places to live” (John 14:2). The mark of the Father’s sons and daughters is joy. It is to go in and rejoice with the Father, with our brothers and sisters – especially with the undeserved siblings.
The Father
Lastly, the Father. In this
parable we see how deep the Father’s love is through his two distinctive
actions: one is waiting, and the other is running. The Father
waits. As Father, he wants his children to stay safely at home and to enjoy his
presence. But as Father, he also wants his children to be free, free to love.
That freedom includes the possibility of their leaving home and going to a
distant county. But when they did, the Father is always waiting, always hoping,
never giving up on them. A friend of mine once shared her spiritual homecoming.
She always grew up in the church, but then she drifted away from God in her
teenage years. She was wandering. In college she attended a prayer meeting by
her friend’s invitation. During the prayer time, she wept. After a while, she saw
a vision. Right in front of her, Jesus was standing with outstretched arms. She
asked, “Where were you when I cried out for help?” Jesus replied, “My daughter,
I have been waiting for you with outstretched arms for 20 years.” The Father is
always waiting and looking for his children with outstretched arms.
Not only does the Father wait, but also he runs to his homecoming children. While the younger son was still far off, his father saw him and ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. In Jesus’ time, however, a Middle Eastern man never ran. If he were to run, he would have to hitch up his tunic so he would not trip. If he did this, it would show his bare legs. In that culture, it was humiliating and shameful for a man to show his bare legs. The question is what motivated the Father to shame himself? Kenneth Bailey, author of The Cross & the Prodigal, explains that if a Jewish son lost his inheritance among Gentiles, and then returned home, the community would perform a ceremony, called the kezazah. They would break a large pot in front of him and yell, “You are now cut off from your people!” The community would totally reject him. So probably the Father ran in order to get to his son before he entered the village, before the community gets to him, so that his son would not be humiliated and rejected. The Father had taken the full shame.[1] He loved his son lavishly and extravagantly.
The Father’s love goes out to both sons. When the elder son refuses to go in, the Father stops the party and comes out to him and gently pleads with him. He does not defend himself or even criticize the elder son’s behavior. He simply invites his son with great affection, “Son” (teknon, “an affectionate form of address”), you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
Love Came Down
This story is open ended. Both –
the rebellious younger son and the resentful elder son – needed to come home.
Both needed forgiveness and reconciliation. Without reserve, the Father brought
out the best robe and killed the best calf to celebrate. And both were invited
to the party.
Today we too are invited – whether we are the younger son, or the elder son, or both. Our Father throws a party for us with the best garment and with the lamb who is slain. “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? … Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:32, 35, 38-39).
Love came down at Christmas. Jesus still comes to us today, waiting for us with outstretched arms, running out to us to find us and bring us home. Sisters and brothers in Christ, let us come home running.
[1] Mary Gregory, “Is Rembrandt’s ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’ the greatest painting of all time?” Catholic Digest (March 28, 2019) https://www.catholicdigest.com/amp/from-the-magazine/way-of-beauty/is-rembrandts-prodigal-son-the-greatest-painting-of-all-time/
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