Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus rebukes the Unclean Spirit

Jesus rebukes the Unclean Spirit - Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 1415, © Musée de Conde, Chantilly

Gospel of 24 February 2020 - Mark 9:14-29

When Jesus, with Peter, James and John came down from the mountain and rejoined the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. 'What are you arguing about with them?' he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, 'Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.' 'You faithless generation' he said to them in reply. 'How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.'

They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, 'How long has this been happening to him?' 'From childhood,' he replied 'and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.' 'If you can?' retorted Jesus. 'Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.' Immediately the father of the boy cried out, 'I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!' And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. 'Deaf and dumb spirit,' he said 'I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.' Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, 'He is dead.' But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, 'Why were we unable to cast it out?' 'This is the kind' he answered 'that can only be driven out by prayer.'

Reflection on the Illuminated Manuscript page

This page is taken from the most famous and possibly the best surviving example of Gothic illuminated manuscripts: Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. It is a Book of Hours, executed around 1415. Consisting of a total of 206 leaves of very fine quality vellum (specially prepared thin skins of animals), it contains 66 large illustrations (or miniatures as they are called). The miniature we are looking at today is of stunning quality: the cobalt blue ground wallpaper with gilt scrolls, the detailing of Christ's halo, the intricate architectural setting, the elaborate textured cloaks, etc… This illustration is about today's Gospel reading: we see the father who approached Jesus at the very centre, holding his son who had the spirit of dumbness in him. Jesus has now spoken and we see the evil spirit leaving the young man in torn clothes. The onlookers are amazed…

The central point to today's reading is the dynamic interrelation between faith and prayer. Notice how frustrated Jesus gets with the lack of faith displayed by everyone involved in the story. No one is able to heal the boy. The disciples then wanted to know why they couldn't heal the boy. Jesus tells them clearly that some things can only be done through prayer. Prayer is always the first thing that we should do; not the last. We can't heal first and then pray; no, we have to pray first and then we can heal…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christianart.today/reading.php?id=339

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