Gospel in Art: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden

Nazareth, by Charles William Meredith van de Velde, 1851 © V&A Museum, London, Purchased with assistance of National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International, Friends of V&A

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 June 2026
Matthew 5:13-16

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'

Reflection on the watercolour

When Jesus tells His disciples, "You are the light of the world," He gives them both a calling and a responsibility. Light is never meant to hide itself away. Jesus uses the image of a city built on a hilltop that cannot be concealed. Here in Britain, wherever the landscape is mountainous or hilly, towns and villages tend to be built in the valleys where there is shelter from the wind and the harsh rainfalls. In places such as Italy and throughout the Holy Land, most ancient towns were built high upon hills rather than deep in valleys. In the intense heat of summer, the higher ground provided fresher air and cooling breezes. These hilltop towns could often be seen from great distances across the landscape. Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, was itself such a hillside village, visible from the valleys and surrounding hills. Christ uses this familiar image to remind His followers that faith is never merely private. A life truly shaped by God will naturally become visible to others, just as a city on a hill shines out across the countryside. A beautiful image he gives us.

Jesus goes on to explain that this light becomes visible through the good we do. The light of faith shines through lives transformed by mercy, humility, compassion, purity of heart, and peacemaking, the very qualities He spoke of in the Beatitudes, yesterday's reading. But there is something else extraordinary in the way Jesus speaks here. He does not say, "You are the light of your household," or "the light of your village," or even "the light of your own community." No, He says, "You are the light of the world." The world. It is an astonishingly bold and ambitious image. Christ sees in His disciples far more than they see in themselves. Many of those listening to Him were ordinary people: fishermen, labourers, unknown men and women from small villages on the edge of the Roman Empire. Yet Jesus entrusts them with a mission that reaches to the ends of the earth. He knows that even small acts of faith, courage, mercy, and love can radiate far beyond what we imagine. These words remind us that no Christian life is insignificant. Each of us carries the potential to bring Christ's light into the most remote of places through simple actions.

Nazareth rises upon the hillsides of Galilee, visible from the surrounding countryside. Our watercolour captures this beautifully. Painted by Charles William Meredith van de Velde, the scene shows Nazareth bathed in warm light, its clustered stone houses resting upon the slopes beneath wide open skies. The town seems almost to emerge organically from the earth itself, humble and unassuming, and yet visible from afar, especially at night when the lights would flicker through the windows of the houses. Looking at it, one can easily imagine the young Jesus walking these hills, praying in these landscapes, and watching the lamps of the town begin to glow as evening descended across Galilee.

Our artist, Van de Velde, himself led a fascinating life. Born in the Netherlands in 1818, he was not only an artist but also a naval officer, traveller, cartographer, and later even connected to the early work of the Red Cross. In the early 1850s he journeyed extensively through the Holy Land, creating detailed drawings, maps, and watercolours of biblical places. His works combine the eye of an artist with the precision of a surveyor. They are not romantic fantasies of the Holy Land, but careful observations made by someone deeply fascinated by the landscapes where salvation history unfolded.

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-5-13-16-2026-2/
Video: How art called me to the priesthood: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55096