Gospel in Art: Jesus entered the region of Judea beyond the river Jordan

Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant by Benjamin West, 1800 © The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 August 2026
Matthew 18:21-19:1

At that time: Peter came up and said to Jesus, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

'Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything." And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, "Pay what you owe." So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you." He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.'

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

Reflection on the painting

The final line of today's Gospel can easily pass unnoticed: 'When Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.' Yet this brief sentence marks an important turning point in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus is constantly on the move. He travels between towns and villages, crosses the Sea of Galilee, preaches on mountains, enters unfamiliar territories and meets people wherever they are. Now he leaves Galilee, where so much of his teaching and healing ministry has taken place, and begins the journey towards Judea and ultimately Jerusalem.

Matthew's mention of the River Jordan is far more than a geographical detail. The Jordan runs like a sacred thread through salvation history. It was there that Jesus had been baptised by John at the beginning of his public ministry. Now, as that ministry draws towards its fulfilment, the river appears once more. The Jordan was of course also the boundary that the Israelites had to cross before entering the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses died within sight of the land but did not enter it. Joshua then came to the fore as Moses' chosen successor, commissioned by God to lead the people onwards. His task was daunting: he had to take up the leadership of a people formed by Moses and guide them across the river into an unknown future.

Our painting by Benjamin West, completed in 1800, depicts this dramatic crossing of the Jordan. Joshua stands overseeing the multitude, while the priests carry the golden Ark of the Covenant through the river. According to the biblical account, the waters stopped flowing when the feet of the priests bearing the Ark touched the river, allowing the whole nation to cross on dry ground (Joshua 3:14-17). West fills the scene with movement, billowing clouds and heavenly light, turning the crossing into a vast vision of divine guidance.

The final line of today's Gospel therefore tells us that Jesus too is making a crossing. Like at his baptism he crossed from hidden life into public ministry, like Joshua crossing the river, Jesus now leads God's people towards the fulfilment of the divine promise to come in Jerusalem. Christ will open a passage not merely through a river, but through sin and death itself. We too encounter many Jordans in life: moments when we must leave familiar ground and step into something new. At such times, today's Gospel and West's painting offer the same assurance: God always goes before us. Faith does not mean knowing exactly what lies on the opposite bank; it means having the courage to cross because Christ is already leading the way.

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-18-21-19-1-2026/