Gospel in Art: Anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it

The First Mourning, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau,1888 © Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 15 June 2023
Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: 'If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

'You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother "Fool" he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him "Renegade" he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.'

Reflection on the painting

The First Mourning is an oil on canvas painted in 1888 by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. This work depicts the moment after Adam and Eve just found the body of their son Abel, who had been murdered by Cain. This is the first human death recorded in the Bible.

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus says 'You must not kill' and talks about brothers being angry, so the story of Cain and Abel comes to mind. The point Jesus is making is that sin doesn't just happen… it first grows as a seed in one's heart. Annoyance can lead to bad feelings, then to anger, hatred, and eventually, in extreme cases, to killing. So Jesus tells us that the beginnings of sin need to be tackled in their very initial stages.

In our painting the grief of Adam and Eve is immense. What the parents fear most has happened: they have lost a child. Adam's left hand is holding his heart, his chest, almost wanting to protect himself from the immense grief. His other arm is comforting Eve. Barefooted, she is beyond being comforted. We can barely see their faces. The intimacy of the grief is shared between them. The whole composition is inspired by pieta scenes throughout art history. Abel is lifeless, placed floating above a pool of blood. Behind them is a dark landscape with a building on fire.

Anger caused the horrendous scene in our painting. Jesus is not saying that the emotion of anger is sinful. He is saying that anger is dangerous and that it should not control us. We should seek to resolve the conflict that angers us, in love.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-5-20-26-2023-2/