Gospel in Art: Take no bag for your journey

Study of hands, Italian School, 18th century © Sotheby's London, Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Day Auction, Part II, 7 July 2023

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 July 2026
Matthew 10:7-15

At that time: Jesus instructed his Apostles: 'Proclaim as you go, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the labourer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.'

Reflection on the painting

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve out on mission with remarkably few possessions. He tells them not to burden themselves with the provisions that most travellers would naturally consider essential. From a purely practical perspective, it seems a very risky strategy. Why send his closest followers into an uncertain world, in the scorching heat, with so little preparation? Yet Jesus is teaching them an important lesson: their effectiveness will depend not primarily on what they carry, but on the One who sends them. They are to place their trust not in their own resources, but in God's providence and care.

That lesson remains just as relevant today. We live in a culture that prizes planning, preparation and self-sufficiency. We like to have every detail accounted for and every contingency covered. While prudence is of course very important, there is also a danger that we become so dependent on our own abilities and resources that we leave little room for God to act. In the work of the Gospel especially, we must remember that the mission belongs to the Lord before it belongs to us. Sometimes our greatest moments of fruitfulness come not when we possess everything we think we need, but when our limitations force us to rely more fully on God's strength. When our hands are less full of our own resources, they are more open to receive his grace.

And maybe this painting depicting a study of hands, sold at Sotheby's three years ago, is a helpful image. The artist has filled the composition with hands engaged in activity: some grasp brushes, others hold tools or instruments, while still others seem occupied with a specific task. They are skilled hands, purposeful hands, productive hands. Yet there is one striking exception. Near the centre-right of the image, a single hand lies open and empty, its palm about turn upwards as if ready to receive. It is the only hand in the entire composition that is not already occupied.

Perhaps that is what makes the image such a fitting companion to today's Gospel. We spend much of our lives with our hands full: full of plans, responsibilities, projects, ambitions and worries. We pride ourselves on being capable and prepared, always holding tightly to what we think we need. Yet a hand that is already clutching something cannot receive a gift. To receive, it must first open. The disciples whom Jesus sent out were, in a sense, sent with open hands. By asking them to travel lightly, he was teaching them to leave room for God's providence. The Christian life requires effort and commitment, but it also requires a certain holy emptiness, a willingness to loosen our grip on self-sufficiency. Maybe the most fruitful hand is not the one that is grasping, but the one that is open.

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-10-7-15-2026/