REMBRANDT AND JESUS
I'm excited to share that I'll be joining a group of students on a journey to Italy and France. My anticipation for visiting the Louvre, especially as a fan of Rembrandt, is palpable. Interestingly, did you know that many of Rembrandt's masterpieces were initially crafted by apprentices in his workshop? It's fascinating how, at times, these apprentices would deliver work so akin to Rembrandt's style that minimal adjustments were required from the master himself. Conversely, there were occasions where Rembrandt had to extensively rework pieces due to the incompetence of the apprentices. Still, amidst these varied outcomes, there was always the hope among the apprentices for their work to be deemed satisfactory, even to the point where Rembrandt might say, "It's right just as it is."
Reflecting on this, I'm reminded of our relationship with Christ as described in Ephesians 2:10.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephes 2:10)
Just as Rembrandt worked on his apprentices' creations, we are God's handiwork, crafted in Christ Jesus for good works. As Christian parents, we serve as apprentices of Christ in nurturing and guiding our children towards spiritual maturity. We must embrace our role with confidence in Christ's ability to rectify our shortcomings.
Expanding on this analogy, we can view ourselves as masterpieces in progress, with Christ as the divine artist continually shaping us (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Like Rembrandt with his apprentices, Jesus mentors us in the art of discipleship, expecting us to imitate and propagate His teachings.
In essence, our journey with Christ mirrors that of an apprentice under a master artist. With each day, we undergo transformation, sometimes profound and sometimes subtle, as Christ meticulously works on His masterpiece—us.