Gospel in Art: David went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest

Ahimelech Giving the Sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder © John Paul Getty Museum, LA

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 17 January 2023
Mark 2:23-28

One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, 'Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?' And he replied, 'Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry - how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?'

And he said to them, 'The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.'

Reflection on the painting

Jesus mentions David and Abiathar the High Priest in our reading today. Our painting depicts Ahimelech, a priest in the city of Nob, where the unarmed David had just arrived. Ahimelech gave the sword of Goliath to David, who had won the battle defeating the giant. The sword was widely seen as a symbol of power. When King Saul heard of all this, he had Ahimelech and other priests killed at the Massacre of Nob, for helping David. Abiathar, mentioned in our reading, was the sole surviving priest of the Massacre in Nob. Fleeing to David, he remained with him throughout his wanderings and his reign.

Jesus is saying in today's reading that he and his followers are like David and his men. Actually, seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the 'Son of David'. The title 'Son of David' is more than a statement of physical genealogy. When the New Testament refers to Jesus as the Son of David, they mean that he was the long-awaited Messiah, the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. 'Son of David' is a Messianic title.

This subject matter of our painting is very rarely depicted in art. Aert de Gelder, our painter, was pupil of Rembrandt and we can can clearly see the master's influence. If you look closely at the sleeve and headdress of Ahimelech, you can see small scratches and incisions, done by the artist with a knife, to raise some of the paint from the canvas so it would catch the light in a more vivid way.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-2-23-28-2023/