Today's Gospel in Art - Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Satan Talks to Council of Hell, by Gustave Doré, engraving for Paradise Lost, by John Milton © Christian Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 31st August 2021 - Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.

In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, 'Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.' But Jesus said sharply, 'Be quiet! Come out of him!' And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, 'What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.' And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.

Reflection on the Engraving

In today's reading, the devil himself is asking Jesus a question: ''Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?' The short answer of course is: nothing! Jesus meets the devil only in order to expel him from the man and set the man free.

In our engraving by Gustave Doré from 1866, we see Satan on his throne in his magnificent palace of Pandaemonium, the capital of hell. The rebel angels and winged creatures are summoned to listen to Satan. Smoke from the fires of hell is ascending into the throne rooms. A scary scene altogether. The illustration was done for a mid-19th-century re-print of John Milton's (1608-1674) Paradise Lost, a poem about the story of the Fall of Man and the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan, leading to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Satan is portrayed in the poem as being very powerful and charismatic, with strong persuasive powers. We can see these on full display as well in our Gospel reading today. The demon is being arrogant, yet clever.

We read that because of Jesus' authority, ultimately all evil is powerless before Him. Jesus asks us today to put in front of Him any evils we struggle with: any addictions, any frustrations, any jealousies, any greed, temptation, etc… We ask today for the grace of letting Jesus touch us and help us cast out anything that takes away from His presence in our lives.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/915
Christian Art - https:/www.christian.art