Gospel in Art: I bless you, Father, for revealing these things to mere children

Tree Roots by Vincent van Gogh © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam / Wikimedia

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 July 2022
Matthew 11:25-27

Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.'

Reflection on the painting

A virtue that is often overlooked in our fast-paced society is 'discernment'. We have questions and, rather than spending time looking for serious answers, we tend to settle for superficial answers. Especially for the more important life decisions, it is important to get to the root of the question. This can only be done by spending time in reflection and prayer.

Particularly in matters of faith, we will find answers only when we spend quality time in reflection and contemplation. And when we do this, Jesus is prompting us in today's reading to be like 'little children' when we look for answers. Just as a child is dependent on its parents, we should listen as well to what our Father has to say, trust in what he wants us to do, and accept difficult tasks, knowing that all he does is out of love for us. Only then will we be able to discern properly and get to the root of the question that we asked him in the first place.

Going to the root of things is also where we find stability. It is in the roots that things are firmly established. The root supports the tree. Painted in 1890, our canvas by Vincent van Gogh depicts such tree roots, firmly established in the soil. This painting is considered by some to be Vincent's last painting before his death, late in July 1890. He had left an asylum a few weeks before and painted only a few canvasses thereafter. As viewers we can identify tree roots and trunks, but it is hard to identify the subject as a whole. When looking at painting, one needs to spend time as well looking up close, discerning what the artist is trying to convey. Time and discernment are also needed when looking at art…

Tree Roots by Vincent van Gogh, 1890. © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation) / Wikimedia

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-11-25-27-2022/