Gospel in Art: Sheep who underneath are ravenous wolves

by Maurice Campobasso, Digital art, 2018, © Maurice Campobasso

Gospel of 28 June 2023
Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: 'Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.'

Reflection on the Digital Art Work

All throughout history, mankind has used images to tell stories, the earliest of which appear in the cave paintings in Lascaux, France, circa 15,000BC. From then onwards, art has always held a special place in the development of our human story. Think of Ancient Greek and Roman times where art flourished to honour gods, commemorate funeral scenes or sporting events, tell mythological tales etc. Most of the art here on Christian Art dates from the Middle Ages onwards, where alongside the creation of ever evolving new, avant-garde compositions, technical advances were made. The latest of these material advances in art is no doubt digital art, which uses digital technology as part of the creative process. The impact of digital technology (mobile phones, computers etc) has not only transformed our lives, but has also seriously influenced activities such as drawing, painting, sculpting, composing music, etc….

Today's work is made by Maurice Campobasso, an Australian digital artist, using computer software to create these images. Like many artists before him, he has encountered technological barriers in his work and has sought to push boundaries. Digital images are simply the newest medium for artists to tell their stories constrained now only by the limits of their own imagination. The film-, comics- and gaming-industries, publishers, advertisers, etc all use this art form to create images. Today's image is very impactful, straight to the point and shows us exactly what a wolf in sheep's clothing looks like. Anyone can immediately understand what it is about. Digital art can bring this clarity and polished result.

But the evangelist doesn't just warn us against wolves dressed up as sheep... He warns us against 'ravenous' wolves. The image of 'ravening' is of both violence and greed. The false prophets Jesus mentions are not merely wicked at heart and opposed to the truth, but they wish to harm you, and that for their own gain.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-7-15-20-2023/