Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus was going up to Jerusalem

The Journey of the Magi, by Sassetta 1433 © Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 3rd March 2021 - Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them, 'Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.'

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, 'What is it you want?' She said to him, 'Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.' 'You do not know what you are asking' Jesus answered. 'Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?' They replied, 'We can.' 'Very well,' he said 'you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.'

When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

Reflection on the Painting

Jesus knew ahead of time exactly what He would face in Jerusalem. In our reading today he foretells what will happen to Him… the story of our Saviour's sacrifice for us is upon us soon…

The 20th chapter of Matthew's Gospel talks about that time of year when people were travelling on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the annual feast of Passover. Many Jewish people from around the region were making their way to the holy city. In the midst of all these pilgrims were Jesus and His disciples. I think the disciples could tell that Jesus was pensive and in a determined attitude, hence the questions they were asking Him in our reading. Something was about to happen, they could sense it. And so Jesus shares what is awaiting Him in Jerusalem. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness before He started His ministry. That was a pilgrimage. And now towards the end of His ministry, He was again on pilgrimage. But this time His pilgrimage would be very different: it would be a rescue mission for the rest of the world.

Lent is our pilgrimage towards God. It is a time when we prepare for a deeper participation in the Paschal Mystery. We know what will happen to Jesus at the end of Lent, when He enters Jerusalem… During these next few days and weeks until we enter Jerusalem with Jesus, we are asked to walk that road alongside Him… a road to greatness in Jesus' kingdom, through following His own example of humble, sacrificial service.

Our painting by Sasetta depicts a 15th century Medieval pilgrimage scene. It shows the three magi journeying to Bethlehem to worship Christ… a first pilgrimage towards Jesus… towards the star, illustrated in the bottom right section.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/726
Christian Art - www.christian.art/index.php