Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance

The 7 Deadly Sins and 4 last Things, by Hieronymus Bosch 1480 © Prado Museum, Madrid

Gospel of 29th February 2020 - Luke 5:27-32

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything he got up and followed him.

In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' Jesus said to them in reply, 'It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.'

Reflection on the Painted Panels

Today's painting is by Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch, painted circa 1480. The larger circle in the middle of the painting depicts the seven deadly sins:

wrath at the bottom of our illustration, then (proceeding clockwise)

-envy
-greed
-gluttony
-sloth
-lust
-pride

Bosch uses scenes from daily life to illustrate these sins in a very tangible and direct way which people could easily identify with. Contrary to other artists active at that time, he didn't use any allegorical illustrations of the sins.

The centre of that roundel is composed as the Eye of God, of which the pupil of the eye is Jesus Christ himself emerging from the tomb.

The composition of this roundel almost works as a wheel of fortune or a darts board. It enhances the feeling of randomness of our sins and how exposed we are to all of them.

The four roundels in each corner represent the four last things in life we are confronted with: death (top left); judgement (bottom right); heaven (top right) and hell (bottom left).

In our Gospel reading of today, Jesus sits at a table, and makes it clear that He has come for everyone, for all sinners, for you and me. Therefore we must accept His companionship and that of people who we may not necessarily agree with. That is the very centre of the Eucharist also, that Christ invites us round His table and asks ALL of us to participate as individuals and as a community… even though we are all sinners…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christianart.today/reading.php?id=344

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