Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields

Wheat Field with Cypresses, by Vincent van Gogh 1889 © Metropolitan Museum, New York

Gospel of 17th July 2020 - Matthew 12:1-8

Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them. The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath.' But he said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry - how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone? Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it? Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.'

Reflection on the Painting

Van Gogh regarded the present work from 1889, as one of his 'best' summer landscapes. This work indeed carries all the trademark touches of Vincent: the rich, thick paint impasto, the swirly skies, the cypresses, the bright yellow corn fields where we can almost feel the wind caressing the crops, etc… Reading our Gospel of today, we can imagine Jesus walking through such cornfields, amidst nature, with a real sense of freedom and clarity of purpose. And we are walking there with Him, entering the intimacy where He unfolds the secrets of His kingdom.

In today's reading He does exactly that, sharing some more insights into His father. For the Pharisees the very strict observation of all their rules and traditions was of the highest importance, even higher than being kind and compassionate towards others. Jesus puts them right. He makes the point that all law must serve the law of love!… whether on a normal day or a Sabbath day.

As we walk through the course of our everyday lives, Christ wants to share more and more insights… All we have to do is say 'yes' to walking with Him in the fields of corn…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/485

Christian Art - www.christian.art