Gospel in Art: Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem

The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, Copy after David Roberts, 1850

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 27 September 2022
Luke 9:51-56

As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, 'Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?' But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.

Reflection on the painting

In today's Gospel reading we hear that Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem. 'Resolutely' tells us a lot about Jesus' mind set when he embarked on this journey. Firstly, it shows how determined he was to set out on this road, no matter what would happen on that journey. Secondly, it also shows us that he was very aware of his destiny and what awaited him in Jerusalem. He knew that the time drew near for his return to Heaven, and he accepted it all willingly and freely.

As we know, Jerusalem has had a very turbulent history: it was attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice. I don't think any city in the world would match those stats. The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium BC, which makes it one of the oldest cities in the world. The painting we are looking at now shows us one of these historical battles in Jerusalem. It is a reproduction of a lost oil painting titled 'The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, AD 70' by David Roberts. The original, dating from the mid-19th century, was sold at auction in 1961 to an Italian art dealer in London. The painting made its way to Rome but was lost shortly afterwards. David Roberts, a Scottish-born artist, rose from poverty to become one of the most popular painters of the 19th century, traveling extensively in Egypt, the Middle East and the Holy Land. To ensure the greatest possible accuracy in the original painting, which was completed in 1849, Roberts drew upon the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, an eyewitness to the Roman siege and the destruction of Jerusalem.

When in today's reading Luke writes that Jesus heads out resolutely to Jerusalem, he means that Jesus headed out resolutely to his Passion… with great determination and awareness of His own destiny…

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-9-51-56-2022/