Rembrandt's Return

In my tidying, found this old postcard of one of my favourite paintings - The Return of the Prodigal, by Rembrandt. Hope Jan will forgive me, but I used a frame she gave me, and Mike put it up by my bedside this morning. I have a large framed copy of just the father and the prodigal in our house in Sutton, and had another of the whole painting over our table in Trapiá (Brazil), here is a Blip of it.

The original is in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, and it's a large painting - 262 x 205cm, I'd love to see it, unlikely, though, especially now.

It's based on the parable Jesus told in Luke 15, and though it's the prodigal being welcomed back by his father that most of us remember best, Jesus is actually aiming the story at the older sons, the resentful self-righteous ones who were criticising Jesus for associating with the despised losers. I am the eldest of five, and have lived my life within the church, and I really, really don't want to be like that elder brother!

And I want both prodigals and the righteous to feel welcome at my table.

Gratefuls:
- working out a way to sit 17 of us at a table tomorrow; if you're interested, can see what we did, and the table ready laid in Mike's Blip; he actually had to dismantle the sofa and take off a door to fit it in
- getting the shopping and most of the cooking done; has to be all coordinated so everything fits in too small oven, fridge, pans
- having enough plates, glasses, cutlery for everyone