Gospel in Art: Walking through the cornfields, his disciples picked ears of corn

Corncob with Leaves (detail from Mais, Blé de Turquie, from Fleurs Dessinees d'apres Nature), Print after Gerard van Spaendonck. 1799-1801, Book of engraving published in 1800

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 September 2023
Luke 6:1-5

One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, 'Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?' Jesus answered them, 'So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry - how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?' And he said to them, 'The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.'

Reflection on the engraving

In today's gospel reading we hear of the disciples picking ears of corn and eating them. This looks and sounds perfectly innocent. But some of the Pharisees question the actions of the disciples and turn something perfectly harmless into criticism and sarcastic scrutiny. The problem with sarcasm is that it excludes. It does not unify. By making sarcastic remarks, the Pharisees wanted to set themselves apart from the disciples. Their sarcasm placed them in a higher position; they thought they were better than the rest. So ultimately sarcasm is about pride, and is the opposite of humility.

Of course humour is good and healthy banter is ok, but if it starts turning into the sarcasm we witness in today's reading, it becomes actually hurtful to the other person and makes that person feel uncomfortable. The image we are looking at is literally that of corn such as at the disciples might have been picking. Gerard van Spaendonck (1746-1822) was one of the masters of Dutch floral painting. After he moved to France, he transformed the genre of flower painting in Paris, where he mixed the realism of the Dutch school with the suave elegance of the French way of painting. He was interested in reflecting nature as God created it. Here we see a perfect example: a corncob being realistically, elegantly and beautifully drawn.

As with any Dutch still lives, there is plenty of symbolism behind it. Corncobs signify growth (as they can reach a stature height of up to three meters), fertility (many ears of corn would be growing on the single cob), abundance, and prosperity. But the threat is also there depicted in the painting… some leaves are already dead. So the time for abundance doesn't last. Everything passes… everything dies in the end. No time for sarcasm, if we want to bear abundant fruits for the Kingdom of God.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-6-1-5-2023/