Gospel in Art: It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick

The Doctor's Visit, by Jan Steen, 1660-1665, © Philadelphia Museum of Art

Gospel of 5 July 2024
Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.

While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?' When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.

Reflection on the painting

Jan Steen specialised in depicting entertaining and moralising scenes of 17th-century Dutch life, masterfully capturing the humorous and often poignant moments of his time. One of his favourite themes was the doctor's visit, typically featuring a young woman suffering from lovesickness rather than from a real illness. This theme is vividly portrayed in our painting today. Steen employs a blend of humour and social commentary. The scene depicts a doctor examining a young woman, presumably for symptoms related to lovesickness. He is looking puzzled, realising that the young girl isn't physically ill. A ribbon smouldering on the brazier near the patient's foot represents a quack technique used to determine pregnancy. Maybe she isn't just in love, but also pregnant. The man in the doorway may well be the cause of her ailment! Adding to the humorous undertone, a laughing figure holds a herring above the woman, seemingly mocking her predicament and confirming her folly. This figure adds a layer of social commentary, as Steen often included such characters to emphasise the moral lesson behind the scene. The interplay of these elements not only entertains but also serves as a critique of societal norms and behaviours of the time.

Whilst the woman in our painting may well not be sick, we however, are. Well, maybe that sounds a little harsh, but it is true. It is only when we recognise that we need help with our failings and call in the true physician, Jesus, that we can be healed. None of our failings drive Jesus away. On the contrary, they can bring him closer to us, if we acknowledge them and open our hearts to the boundless mercy he offers us. The church is a community of forgiven sinners!

At all times each one of us stands in need of God's forgiveness. Jesus shows us that God's forgiveness is in plentiful supply, if we only acknowledge our need of it. The call of Matthew in today's reading shows us that the Lord continues to call us into communion with himself, regardless of how often we might have broken communion with him in the past.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-9-9-13-2024/