Today's Gospel in Art - Christ healing the Blind Man

Christ healing the Blind Man, © Andrei Mironov

Gospel of 19th February 2020 - Mark 8:22-26

Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida, and some people brought to him a blind man whom they begged him to touch. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then putting spittle on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked, 'Can you see anything?' The man, who was beginning to see, replied, 'I can see people; they look like trees to me, but they are walking about.' Then he laid his hands on the man's eyes again and he saw clearly; he was cured, and he could see everything plainly and distinctly. And Jesus sent him home, saying, 'Do not even go into the village.'

Reflection on the Painting

Andrei Mironov's father was a Soviet militia officer in the old USSR. Andrei followed his father's footsteps and also entered the Soviet army taking part in the First Chechen War. Being self-educated in painting, he developed his own, highly classical style of painting religious subjects such as the artwork we are looking at today. The vertically elongated canvas adds to the slight weirdness of the painting when we look at it. Light is emanating from Christ and shining upon the blind man's face. Jesus is about to touch the blind man's eyes. The blind man's unusual facial expression reveals expectation mixed with slight nervousness for what is about to happen. Christ's right hand and the blind man's left hand express the same gesture of gentleness, both are united in the very moment…

…it is that hand which gets described in the start of our Gospel passage of today: 'He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village'… This is a kind, gentle act of love which Jesus is bestowing upon the blind man before the miracle happens. Jesus did not have to do this. He could have healed the man, there and then, where he was. However, Jesus chose to spend some time alone with the man in a very caring way. Jesus, fully human and divine in his nature, sought to be alone with this man. Some of the most beautiful, intense and faith-growing times in our life will happen when we are completely alone with God… where He can cure us from our own blindness…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christianart.today/reading.php?id=334

Christian Art Today - https://christianart.today/