Gospel in Art: The Pharisees watched him, to find a reason to accuse him

Rose Coloured Glasses by © Jackie Von Tobel, 2018 . All rights reserved

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 7 September 2026
Luke 6:6-11

On a Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Come and stand here.' And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?' And after looking around at them all he said to him, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Reflection on the painting

In today's Gospel, the religious leaders are watching Jesus closely, not because they want to learn from him, but because they want to catch him out. They see all the good he is doing, yet their attention is fixed on finding fault. They have already made up their minds about him, and so even when God's goodness is unfolding before their eyes, they struggle to recognise it.

Jesus looks at people very differently. Where others see only failure, he sees possibility. Where others see a sinner, he sees someone who can still become a saint. The crowds saw Zacchaeus as a dishonest tax collector; Jesus saw a man whose heart could change. Peter saw himself as a sinful man, unworthy even to be near Jesus; Jesus saw the rock on which he would build his Church. Jesus never pretends that our faults do not exist, but neither does he allow our faults to become the whole story of who we are.

Perhaps that is something we need to learn too. It is very easy to spot what is wrong with another person: their weaknesses, irritating habits, mistakes and shortcomings. It takes greater generosity to look beyond those things and notice the goodness that is there as well. To see with the eyes of Christ is not to wear rose-tinted glasses or pretend that everything is perfect. It is to recognise that no human being can be reduced to their worst qualities or their worst moments.

Our painting today, Rose Coloured Glasses, is by contemporary American artist Jackie Von Tobel, whose work often takes classical and historic imagery and gives it a playful, colourful contemporary twist. Here she presents an elegant young aristocrat, beautifully dressed in satin, but we can barely see her face: her eyes are completely obscured by an extravagant explosion of pink roses. She is seeing the world care-free through roses. It is a witty image. We speak of seeing the world through 'rose-tinted glasses' when we choose to see only what is pleasant and ignore what is difficult. Christian love is not about putting on rose-tinted glasses, and having a naive approach to the world. It is about learning to see the whole person: their faults, yes, but also their goodness, their possibilities, and the grace of God quietly at work within them.

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-6-6-11-2026/