I have a favorite picture of a famous painting in our prayer room. It’s a print of a painting by Rembrandt – “St Matthew and the Angel”. The original is hanging in the Louvre. But for a few weeks it was lent to the Atlanta Museum of Art. That is where our paths crossed. My print hangs over a couch where I pray every morning. It is wonderful to look at, but it is nothing like the original. In it you could see Rembrandt’s statement to mankind: The gospel of Matthew – every word - was divinely inspired.
In the painting, you see a well-weathered old man. He holds his pen in a gnarled hand. It is poised above some leaves of parchment, ready to write exactly what he senses the Lord saying. His facial features belie a life that has seen much. His long, mostly gray hair is being held in place by a leather strap. His eyes aren’t focused on anything we can see, but are peering into the unseen. His left hand is stroking his beard. He is in deep thought as his right hand is poised at the ready. Over his right shoulder, just off his right ear, is the face of a youthful being. He has a calm look in his eyes as he whispers in the old man’s ear. His small hand rests on the old man’s shoulder in a reassuring and calming manner.
The contrast of the two is not accidental. The old man is concentrating, pondering, purposeful. He doesn’t dare engage the pen until he knows he gets it exactly right. Nothing in his being indicates that he has any knowledge of the cherub’s presence. The youthful looking angel, on the other hand seems to be content and peaceful in his role. He is not just present, he is intimately present. After all, his message is world changing. His role is a wonderful assignment.
If someone asked Rembrandt to explain how divine revelation of the Gospels happened, this is his answer. You can say that it is as good of explanation as any. Or you can imagine that there also could have been a painting of Rembrandt and the Angel, showing how he gained inspiration to paint St. Matthew and the Angel.
It poses a really important question. Do you believe that every word, EVERY WORD in the Bible is God inspired? I do. I believe that God wanted all of us in the 21st century to read and ponder every verse. And when I say ponder, I don’t mean ponder its validity. I mean ponder its depths. It was written for us to dig into, to mine its riches, and to benefit from revelation of what it means.
