Disarming Peter Image License (John 18:1-11)
Disarming Peter Image License (John 18:1-11)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FOR ONE-TIME LICENSE
Interested in licensing a single image for worship or ministry use? This one-time license grants you permission to use this image for ministry purposes. Print the image as bulletin cover art or project the art and engage with it during worship, Sunday School, or Youth Group. We hope you might use our images as tools for spiritual formation.
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Disarming Peter
Digital painting
By Lauren Wright Pittman
Inspired by John 18:1-11
From our Wandering Heart Lent collection.
Order includes:
high-res image file formatted for print
high-res image file formatted for web/projection
A PDF of the Artist's statements & scripture reference for the visual
A visio divina Bible Study Guide for you to use this image in a group study session that incorporates the ancient Benedictine spiritual practice of "divine seeing."
Credit Info:
When printing and sharing online, please always include the following credits:
Artist's name | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org
From the artist:
"In disarming Peter, Christ disarms all Christians." —Tertullian (160-220 CE)
Pressed in by soldiers and religious leaders, surrounded by lanterns, torches, and weapons, Peter does what many of us would do. He responds to the threat of violence with violence. With sword in hand, he tries to take the unfolding narrative into his own hands and cuts off Malchus' ear. Jesus tells Peter to "put the sword back into its sheath” (John 18:11). This is the moment I wanted to capture in this image. I imagine a rush of emotions surge through Peter's body like a bolt of lightning. I imagine he feels the sting of shame after being admonished by his teacher for his violent actions. I imagine he feels the searing grief that comes with the realization that his teacher and friend will in fact die, and he is helpless to do anything about it—perhaps the most painful of all.
Peter had a choice. He could continue down the path of violence, fight the soldiers and religious leaders and protect Jesus from the inevitable, or he could yield, dropping his sword and surrendering to the cup that God has placed before his friend.
In the image, this choice is suspended in time. Is Peter releasing the sword and choosing the way of peace? Or is Peter about to take up the sword and choose the way of violence? On the left in the image, leaves from the garden’s olive grove reach out to shade and comfort him. This is the way of peace. On the right, the soldiers are looming with the flames closing in around him. This is the way of violence.
Peter releases the sword as if it was on fire, as hot tears of shame, grief, and helplessness pour down his face.
Which way will we choose?
—Lauren Wright Pittman
