On their Unhurried Living podcast, Alan and Gem Fadling described the time they visited the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The highlight of the trip for them was getting to see The Prodigal Son, a painting by world-renowned artist Rembrandt van Rijn. A favorite of the couple, a replica hangs in a stairwell in their home, so they gaze upon this biblical scene every time they go upstairs or downstairs.
The Fadlings commented that Rembrandt trained many young painters as his apprentices. He did such a good job that often people can’t distinguish their work from the master himself. In a sense, there are many Rembrandt paintings that he didn’t paint!
This result reminded the Fadlings of the analogy of discipleship as apprenticeship. As Rembrandt taught novices the skills of painting, so Jesus trains His disciples in the ways of the Lord.
I’d like to delve into this a bit more.
Creativity
First, Rembrandt is one of the greatest artists in history. At the Artists Network, Courtney Johnson considered him “the ultimate draftsman . . . with a paintbrush.” He was efficient and effective:
Rembrandt could turn two swipes of a painting brush loaded with white paint into the coarse cloth of a girl’s sleeve. He captured ruddy and calloused hands with just two or three colors, and no more than a dozen strokes of the brush . . . Rembrandt made a stroke abstractly — as if he were not painting forms at all. As a result, the viewer sees the paint articulating as much information as possible. Because of this, Rembrandt’s work is very subtle. Each stroke does a lot of heavy lifting, in terms of conveying information.
Johnson recommends students try to copy Rembrandt’s technique:
To build up your ability to make each stroke count and learn how to paint as Rembrandt did, try painting a simple still life with a large brush using only black, white and burnt sienna. Focus on communicating with each brushstroke, since you don’t have color to fall back on. It may be a frustrating exercise, but well worth it. You will begin to recognize how to make your brush move in different ways and “say” more than one thing.
In short, Rembrandt could do a lot with a little. Like Jesus. And as the great Dutch painter molded his students to duplicate his work, so the Lord challenges us to reproduce His miracles.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18“Bring them here to me,” he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. – Matthew 14:15-21
As I covered in my book, Jesus used the occasion of a crowd of hungry people without food to teach His disciples that God’s creative power working through them has no limits. Five loaves of bread and two fish can feed thousands! Through this miracle, the Lord demonstrated that miracles characterize the ministry of disciples. Should this surprise us? It’s what Christ promised.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12
Movement
What did Rembrandt intend with his style of painting? According to Robert Hughes in The Guardian, “He aimed in his work . . . to produce . . . the greatest and most natural movement. But movement of what? The apparent movement of the bodies of the ‘actors’, the figures depicted; or the stirring of the spectator’s emotions? We do not know.”
By His ministry, Jesus effected great movement; He ushered in the kingdom of God and called people to respond.
“‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” – Mark 1:14
Christ wants us as His disciples to move people and to introduce them to the kingdom.
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” – Luke 9:1-2
“But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” – Acts 8:12
Application
Apprentices have the privilege of learning a trade from a competent master. As disciples, we enjoy the blessing of developing our souls and service under the authority of Jesus. Through God’s grace, His Spirit will work through us in such a way that the fruits of our labor will be indistinguishable from His. Praise the Lord!
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:8
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