A Portrait of Peter
During a conversation, a very good friend of mine said something along the lines of “I don’t like Peter.” The Peter that she was referring to was not her sister’s boyfriend that she loathed, nor was she referring to a politician that she disagreed with. She was quite frankly referring to Peter, the apostle of God, the man who walked on water, the Head of the Holy Roman Catholic Church! He is certainly someone to be respected. How can anyone just say, they don’t like Peter? Her statement perplexed me and led me to think a little more on the subject. Although Peter was a leader of the early Christian church, he was just a man, a man of God, but still a man of faults and quirks and character. It is something that we don’t always remember when we read the gospels or the epistles, but Peter did have a personality and anyone could be annoyed with him. As all men do, Peter struggled with good and evil, and God made him unique in his own way. This fact directed me to look further into Peter’s life and soul, who he is as a man and what kind of struggles he had as a human. My friend didn’t like Peter’s personality. She must have come to that conclusion from reading the Bible, which means that there must be enough about him in the New Testament to be able to recreate his personality. Interestingly enough, there are many artists that have found this to be true as well. There are a myriad of pieces of art that surround the life of Peter and through many of those, along with scripture, part of his personality can be visually perceived.
St. Peter in Prayer is evidently one of those artworks. Part of the Catholic Baroque art movement included the inspiration of religious fervor. Painted during the 17th century, Peter’s action of prayer would inspire viewers to follow Peter as a model and therefore pray. But to step away from the audience and into the painting, we get a closer look into Peter’s life. The apostle led his life in devotion to God, but no matter how fervently one follows the Lord they are bound to falter. Peter certainly needed to pray through the struggles of light and darkness that went through his soul. In St. Peter in Prayer, his face is looking Heavenward, not only praying, but pleading, perhaps for forgiveness. What the artist meant by depicting this particular scene is unclear, but what we can take away from it is Peter’s humility before The Lord of Creation.
Humility was something that Peter needed to learn, as one of his struggles was with his passion. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes him as “rash alike in word and act, he is full of zeal and enthusiasm, though momentarily easily accessible to external influences and intimidated by difficulties.” Peter followed Jesus everywhere and always made a point to serve him. But Peter was still learning and often the harsh way. Everything in life can be a two edged sword, used for good or evil. At some points his passion was propelled to the point of brashness. In Jacopo Bassano’s Last Supper, we see Peter to Jesus’ right. In his face and gestures we can see his anger, that The Lord would even think that his faithful servant would betray him. In Peter’s right hand he is clenching a knife. He holds it with such intensity that it possibly foreshadows the action of cutting off a man’s ear when Jesus is arrested, which Jesus will reprove him for.
Much of Peter’s brash behavior comes not only from passion, but also pride. In Matthew 16, at one point God inspires Peter to confess that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”( Matt. 16:16) Yet in the next few verses Peter thinks enough of himself that he dares to “rebuke” the Son of the living God! There are many times in scripture where Peter speaks whatever is on his mind, seemingly before even thinking, and gets in trouble for it. In John 13 Jesus is washing his disciples feet, but “Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:8-9) And then Jesus proceeds to correct him again. An almost comical scene where Peter feels that he has to speak whatever is on his mind is during the Transfiguration of Christ. This happening is recreated by Raphael, where we see Peter fallen to the ground, but looking up as if speaking to the three above him. “And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”(Mark 9:5-6) Peter didn’t have to say anything but it was in his character, so he did. The amusing part is that God quiets him by interrupting him with His divine command.
Before Christ’s death Peter denied that he knew Jesus. He meant to follow Jesus, but he was caught by some people and fear entered his heart and he denied Jesus. Despite his pride he had a fear of man, and that fear can be seen in Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of St. Peter. Fear of death, but struggling with that thought because he knows that there is nothing to fear after death. After having devoted his life to Christ, he is about to make the final sacrifice. His mean of death was prophesied by Jesus at the end of John 21, “...but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)”(John 21:18-19) Even in his dying moments, Peter struggled with his carnal self. In the painting it is difficult to imagine the thoughts going through Peter’s head. He is dealing for one last time with temporary physical pain, tired of the world that he has had to struggle with, but knowing that he will soon leave it. Because he leaves it in this way, he knows that his death brings glory to God, as did his life.
It would almost seem that Peter never learns his lesson because he is always wrestling with them. It is because Peter is just a man that he faces these trials. And it is for that reason that God chose him to serve His Son. He chose Peter because of the quirks in his personality, because of the traits that he had to fight within himself, because He needed someone that He could make perfect.
Bibliography
Kirsch, Johann Peter. "St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 29 Nov. 2010
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007
Raphael. The Transfiguration. 1516-1520. “Tempera Grassa” on wood. Vatican Museum, Rome.
Caravaggio. The Crucifixion of St. Peter. 1600. Oil on canvas. Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.
