Gospel in Art: They were crowding forward to touch him

Touch of Faith, by Yongsung Kim, 2010 © Courtesy of Havenlight and Yongsung Kim

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 18 January 2024
Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and great crowds from Galilee followed him. From Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordania and the region of Tyre and Sidon, great numbers who had heard of all he was doing came to him. And he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, to keep him from being crushed. For he had cured so many that all who were afflicted in any way were crowding forward to touch him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and shout, 'You are the Son of God!' But he warned them strongly not to make him known.

Reflection on the painting

In the beginning of today's gospel reading Jesus withdraws with his disciples to the Sea of Galilee. He had just experienced hostility from the religious leaders. In fact, Mark had just told us that, because Jesus had healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath in the synagogue (yesterday's reading), the Pharisees conspired with the Herodians against him, with a view to destroying him. So in our reading today we hear that Jesus withdrew from that hostility, along with his disciples, to the Sea of Galilee.

When he gets there, Jesus encounters a response from the crowds which is the complete opposite of the hostility he experienced in the previous readings this week. People around the Sea of Galilee approached him, trying to touch him so as to be healed of their brokenness and diseases. The contrast between the two responses to Jesus is very striking. Some wanted to destroy him; others turned to him to be healed of their brokenness.

It is said of this large crowd that they were 'crowding forward to touch Jesus'. We can touch Jesus too. One of the ways we touch Jesus today is through prayer. In prayer, we enter into communion with the Lord, touching his presence to us. Also, in the Eucharist, by physically consuming the Body of Christ, we touch him (literally!) in the most special of ways.

Our painting is by Korean contemporary artist Yongsung Kim. He is one of the main Christian artists at work there. In a world with an increasing culture of violence and darkness, Yongsung Kim says that he wants to shed the light of Jesus Christ to a new generation by focussing on bright, joyful paintings. In our canvas we see the hand of a follower merely just wanting to touch Jesus. The painting has such beautiful fluidity of movement to it.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-3-7-12-2024/