Today's Gospel in Art - The river floods could not shake the house

Houses by the Bank of the River Zaan in Zaandam, by Claude Monet © Städel Museum, Frankfurt

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 11th September 2021 - Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples:

'There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart.

'Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?

'Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them - I will show you what he is like. He is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!'

Reflection on the Painting

Immediately after the Franco-Prussian War, during which Claude Monet had sought exile in London and painted numerous paintings of the River Thames, the artist made his way to the Netherlands. Monet and his family stayed in a small town near Amsterdam called Zaandam. He thought it was an idyllic spot. He wrote to his friend Camille Pissarro saying 'One would be busy for an entire painter's life here in Zaandam.' This painting would be in stark contrast with what he would have painted in Paris, lying in ruins after the war. The happy scenery of Zaandam contrasted with the sadness of Paris at the time. The soft green tonalities and the reflection of the houses in the river waters make for a delightful painting. The shimmering light is captured by Monet in his unique way, conveying a carefree, joyful scene.

The houses we see depicted must have strong foundations as they are built on the river banks. Foundations partly on soil, partly inside the river bed itself. Jesus uses the image of house building in today's reading. In what way are we building our own lives upon Jesus' teachings? In times where we are surrounded by relativism, it certainly isn't easy to build our lives on Christian values, but yet that is the bedrock that Jesus is inviting us to.

Where yesterday's reading was calling us to a radical self-examination, today's reading goes even further. Jesus doesn't just call us to examine our 'inner house', but to also dig deep and examine the foundations of that house. Or were there strong foundations before, and have these been eroded with time and are in need of repair? Erosion starts small and then creeps up, little by little… at risk of destroying our houses…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/926
Christian Art - www.christian.art/