Gospel in Art: They were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd

The Improvised Field Hospital, by Jean Frédéric Bazille, 1865 © Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 18 June 2023
Matthew 9:36-10:8

When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.'

He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

'Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.'

Reflection on the painting

Pope Francis often speaks of the church as a field hospital. It is a very helpful image to think of our church as such. Pope Francis is thinking of the hospitals that are set up in the vicinity of a war zone where the wounded come to have their wounds tended to. It is a portrayal of the church that reflects the ministry of Jesus.

Jesus tended to the wounded in body, mind and spirit. Our Gospel reading today highlights that dimension of Jesus' ministry: 'cure all kinds of diseases and sickness…cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils'. Jesus proclaims the presence of the kingdom of God by attending to other people's needs. He has compassion on the crowds who come to him and seem harassed and dejected like sheep without a shepherd. A response was needed. So Jesus sends out the twelve as labourers to a harvest, with authority to proclaim the closeness of God's kingdom by curing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. Hereby Jesus proclaims the the ministry of his disciples, the ministry of the church, is to be a continuation of Jesus' own healing ministry.

The Lord, present in the community of disciples and our church, calls to us to come before him with our wounds of body, mind or spirit. We are invited into the field hospital and open ourselves to Christ's healing presence. The healing ministry Jesus started two thousand years ago still continues to this day in our church. There will be times when we will be the ones coming in with our wounds; there will be times when we will be sent out as disciples to bring his healing presence to others who are wounded. We are always wounded healers!

Our painting by Jean Frédéric Bazille depicts the painter Claude Monet in bed recovering from a leg injury he had sustained in summer 1865. A small field hospital had been set up in Chailly-en-Bière, a small village just on the outskirts of the forest of Fontainebleau. The bed is untidy. The structure of the room is basic. Textiles walls and floor convey the field hospital. We can see the red, inflamed wound on Monet's shin, while his face expresses his despondency at being immobilised in this way. The intimacy of the scene demonstrates the bonds of friendship between the our painter Bazille and his friend Monet.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-9-36-10-8-2023/