Gospel in Art: Noah went into the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all

The Deluge, by John Martin, 1826 © Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 15 November 2024
Luke 17:26-37

Jesus said to the disciples:

'As it was in Noah's day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.

'When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.' The disciples interrupted. 'Where, Lord?' they asked. He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'

Reflection on the painting

Today's Gospel reading reminds us not to be so engrossed in the daily routines of life that we overlook what truly matters. Jesus speaks of people eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, marrying and being given in marriage. These are essential activities, the building blocks of our lives. But there is a deeper reality that goes beyond these everyday tasks-what Jesus calls the day the Son of Man will be revealed.

To illustrate this, Jesus points to Noah's time, when people were living life as usual, unaware of the impending flood until it was upon them. The people of Noah's day were fully absorbed in their everyday pursuits, unaware that something much greater was about to happen. Jesus warns us not to make the same mistake. The Son of Man is revealed not only at the end of time or the end of our lives but also here and now, in the midst of our daily routines. God calls to us through these activities, inviting us to seek Him wholeheartedly.

'The Deluge' by John Martin, painted in 1826, captures the dramatic moment of the flood, showing a sweeping scene of destruction and people in panic as the waters rise around the ark. Martin's work conveys both the ordinary lives swept away by the flood and the enormity of God's judgment, aligning well with Jesus' warning in the Gospel passage about being prepared and attentive to what is beyond daily life.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-17-26-37-2024/