Today's Gospel in Art - Feast of Saint Matthew the Evangelist

The Calling of Saint Matthew, by Hendrick ter Brugghen 1621 © Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 21st September 2021 - Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.

While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?' When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.'

Reflection on the Painting

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Matthew. Jesus called this tax collector, showing how God has the power to transform every single one of us into a saint for His glory… if we are willing to respond and follow Him. In Jesus' time, tax collectors were perceived as being dishonest, greedy individuals, collaborating with the Roman officials. Tax collectors collected more than the Roman authorities required, and they then pocketed the difference for themselves, as their 'salary'. Needless to say that calling Matthew and asking him to follow Jesus, was a bold move.

But it is precisely Matthew who shows an immediate depth of faith by following Jesus straight away. He abandoned his job at once and became one of Jesus' main disciples. In him we see that Jesus truly came for everyone. Our painting by Dutch artist Hendrick ter Brugghen shows the very moment of the Calling of Saint Matthew, painted in 1621. Ter Brugghen had travelled to Italy, where he saw Caravaggio's painting of the same subject in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. When he returned to Holland, he became one of the main northern Caravaggisti, painting in Caravaggio's style. The realistic rendering of the faces is typical of Caravaggio, as are the half-length figures. But Ter Brugghen did not adopt the dramatic chiaroscuro effect, omitting strong light-dark contrasts.

These types of paintings, depicting a moment of sudden religious insight and conversion, were popular in the early 17th century. The blues, pinks, and violet tonalities accentuate the joy that accompanies such a moment of insight. Christ and His disciple appear to the left as dark figures in the foreground. The focal point is Matthew pointing at himself: 'are you calling ME?' The fascinating figure, however, is the mercenary soldier wearing partial armour, pointing to the money on the table. He is depicted as greedy, hands clasped, grinding his teeth. He just looks and points at the money. He is not interested in the calling of Saint Matthew and is oblivious to what is going on around him. Saint Matthew's ink, pen and paper are ready before him, once writing down the taxes paid,... but now preparing to write his Gospel….

Saint Matthew, pray for us.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/936
Christian Art - www.christian.art/