What Rembrandt Taught Me About The Prodigal Son

In his painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son (c. 1669), we see the Prodigal Son kneeling in rags. The onlookers are there; the older brother quietly judges, and the son, leaning against his father’s chest, half-barefoot, has his eyes closed in repentant rest.

But zoom in on the father’s hands.
They are not a matching pair.

Rembrandt van Rijn. The Return of the Prodigal Son. c. 1668–1669, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

The left hand, covering the holes in his son’s garment, is broad and masculine.
It looks muscular and is pressing down on the son’s left shoulder.

It is the hand of justice, strength, and order.
Inscribe Psalm 89:14 and Hebrews 12:5-6.
Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of God’s throne & He disciplines those He loves.

But Gods character doesn’t end there.

Zoom in on the right hand.

It is soft, slender, and gentle. 
It looks like a mother’s hand.
It doesn’t press down. 
It holds and caresses the son.

We often forget that while Scripture addresses God as Father, it also uses motherly language to convey the depth of His compassion.

Inscribe Isaiah 66:13, where God tells His people He will comfort them as a mother.
Then, Matthew 23:37, where Jesus cries over Jerusalem, longing to gather them as a mother hen gathers her chicks.

For some, the tendency is to view God as a rigid judge.
For others, the tendency is to ignore His holiness.
Both flatten God into an image of our own making.

God’s strength, justice, holiness, mercy, and compassion reside in the same person.

The One whose left hand disciplines in order to teach us uses His right hand to embrace and comfort us. The God who upholds the law is the same God who gathers His weary children.

The good news for the Prodigal Son . . . the good news for us . . . is that when we return to the Father, we don’t have to choose or guess at what part of His character we receive; we get the fullness of who He is.

Inscribe Isaiah 66:13 or Luke 15:20 in your journal today. 
Which aspect of God’s hands do you need to rest under today? His protective strength or His tender comfort? 🤎