Gospel in Art: There was a man in the synagogue who had a withered hand

The Artist's Right Hand, by Hendrick Goltzius, late 16th century © Christie's London, 10/07/14 lot 22

Source: ChristianArt

Gospel of 17 January 2024
Mark 3:1-6

Jesus went into a synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him to see if he would cure him on the sabbath day, hoping for something to use against him. He said to the man with the withered hand, 'Stand up out in the middle!' Then he said to them, 'Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?' But they said nothing. Then, grieved to find them so obstinate, he looked angrily round at them, and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out and his hand was better. The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him.

Reflection on the Old Master Drawing

The present drawing by Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617) sold in 2014 at Christie's in London for £2,6 million, against an estimate of £300-500,000. It depicts the artist's right hand. When Goltzius was only a year old, according to his friend and biographer Karel van Mander (1548-1606), he fell headfirst into the fireplace and burned both his hands on red-hot coals. Although his mother tried to heal the wounds with ointments and bandages, his hands were in constant pain. The tendons of his right hand never properly healed and for the rest of Goltzius's life, he was unable to open it properly. Just over 30 years after the accident, Goltzius drew the present drawing of his hand. I think it is a truly exquisite drawing.

Maybe his own hand was somewhat like that of the man with the withered hand, as described in today's Gospel reading. What that reading teaches us is how Jesus is not interested in theory or man-made rules. He looks at what we practise. Being confronted with the Pharisees, he asks the man with the withered hand to come forward. Jesus so wants the Pharisees to look into the eyes of the disabled man as they decide how to answer Jesus' question of 'Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good?'. He is only asking the Pharisees to confirm or deny that such a healing was a good thing. We are told that they didn't say anything at all…

Furthermore, there is an urgency to the story. As Jesus knew he wouldn't get an answer from the Pharisees and their hardened hearts, he didn't wait but went ahead anyway with healing the man there and then. There was no time to waste. Jesus' work in our world will not be constrained by our unwillingness to take part in his good works. Jesus keeps moving, Jesus keeps working.

Also, Mark in his gospel gives us the most human portrait of Jesus. He more often attributes emotions to Jesus than do the other evangelists. In this morning's gospel reading he makes reference to Jesus' grief and anger. Jesus was grieved to find the religious authorities so obstinate and so opposed to his work of healing a man on the Sabbath and he looked around in anger at them all. Jesus channelled these strong emotions in a life-giving way.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-3-1-6-2024/