Gospel in Art: The field is the world

Fall Plowing, by Grant Wood, 1931 © Courtesy of the John Deere Art Collection

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 30 July 2024
Matthew 13:36-43

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.' He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels.

'Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time.

'The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!'

Reflection on the painting

Grant Wood was an American painter renowned for his depictions of rural America in the 1920s and 1930s. His most famous painting, 'American Gothic,' portrays a stern-looking man and woman standing in front of their farmhouse, with the man holding a pitchfork. While abstract art was flourishing in Europe during this period, Wood embraced a realist, representational style. He was part of the 'Regionalist' movement, comprising artists who painted familiar scenes from their surroundings. This straightforward yet powerful approach resonates deeply with viewers. Our painting is a highly stylised view of fields which are at different stages of their cycle: some, in the foreground, are being ploughed; others have already been ploughed, while still others are growing crops and some, in the background, have already been harvested. This juxtaposition of fields is not that realistic, moving into the realm of the more abstract. The walking plough depicted in the foreground is celebrated without the farmer: a vital agricultural implement for farmers in the Midwestern United States who were transforming prairie land into fertile, workable farmland.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus explains how "the field is the world." We are therefore the seeds in God's fields ready to grow and reach our potential before the harvesting.

The Gospel reading however acknowledges the presence of 'darnel' or 'weeds,' representing the evil sown by the devil. Jesus took the reality of evil seriously, aware that it could affect his followers. Weeds may well grow next to the healthiest of seeds and shoots. The power of evil is sometimes all too evident in our world. However, the Gospel assures us that evil will not have the final word!

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-13-36-43-2024/