Today's Gospel in Art - You must not kill

The First Mourning, by William-Adolphe Bougereau © Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires

Gospel of 26th February 2021 - Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: 'If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

'You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother "Fool" he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him "Renegade" he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.'

Reflection on the Painting

Our Gospel reading today where Jesus says 'You must not kill' and talks about brothers being angry, reminds me of the story of Cain and Abel. The first person to kill his brother was Cain.

Sin doesn't just happen… it first grows as a seed in one's heart. Annoyance, can lead to bad feelings, then lead to anger, to hate and then eventually killing in extreme cases. So Jesus tells us that the seed of sin needs to be tackled at its very initial stages.

As regards to choosing a painting of Cain and Abel, I have always liked this canvas by Bougereau, painted in 1888. It is called 'The First Mourning'. The title itself gives everything away. We see Adam and Eve who are just after discovering the body of their son, Abel. The grief is immense. The parents' worst fear has happened, losing a child. Adam's left hand is holding his heart, his chest, almost wanting to protect himself from the immense grief. His other arm is comforting Eve. Barefooted, she is beyond being comforted. We can barely see their faces. The intimacy of the grief is shared between them. The whole composition is inspired by pieta scenes throughout art history. Abel is lifeless, placed floating above a puddle of blood. Behind them is a dark landscape with a building on fire.

Anger caused this horrendous scene in our painting. Reconciliation is what Jesus is asking from us… humility to ask forgiveness of anyone we may have upset.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/733
Christian Art - www.christian.art/index.php