Gospel in Art: The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use

Fish Magic, Painted by Paul Klee (1879 - 1940), Painted in 1925. Oil and watercolour on canvas on panel © Philadelphia Museum of Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 October 2023
Matthew 13:47-52

Jesus said to the crowds: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

'Have you understood all this?' They said, 'Yes.' And he said to them, 'Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.'

Reflection on the painting

Our Gospel reading today speaks of fishermen collecting the good fish and throwing away those that are no use. The rivers, lakes and seas are indeed full of different kinds of fish. Today's reading tells us that because someone is exposed to Christian teachings, that is no guarantee that his or her soul is saved. It is possible to be "in the net" of the Kingdom and yet be cast away as "bad" for not truly getting the point. It may sound a little harsh, but in the end it is an invitation for us all to give ourselves completely to God and not hold back.

Someone explained to me once that when we buy a new phone, it cannot properly get used if it is still covered by a protective film that comes with the packaging. The phone never will be able to be used to its full potential, unless the protective film is removed. It is the same with our faith life: we cannot put a film, a barrier between us and God, as otherwise we will never reach our full potential.

Paul Klee's Fish Magic painting shows a pond of fish. Different colours, different sizes, different types, different directions of swimming, some good fish, some bad fish. It is an interesting painting in which the aquatic, the celestial, and the earthly intermingle. The painting technique was very innovative for 1925. A delicate black surface covers an underlayer of colours, which the artist revealed by scratching and scrawling designs in the black paint. At the centre of the painting, a square of muslin is glued onto the canvas. This addition of textile onto a painter's canvas is something that would be picked up by other artists later on in contemporary art.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-13-47-52-2023/