Gospel in Art: The people in the synagogue asked Jesus questions

The Bookworm, by Carl Spitzweg, 1850 © Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 2 August 2024
Matthew 13:54-58

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, 'Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter's son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?' And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house', and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Reflection on the painting

Today's Gospel reading is brief, yet it contains five rapid-fire questions. Asking questions is a crucial part of deepening our faith. Faith is steeped in mystery, and we will therefore never exhaust our supply of questions. As we strive to draw closer to God, questions will arise at every step. Embracing these questions is healthy and helps us to strengthen our faith.

This concept is illustrated by the man in our painting, "The Bookworm" by Carl Spitzweg, a German Romanticist painter. The man is voraciously seeking knowledge, consulting book after book to satisfy his curiosity. The term "bookworm" is often used sarcastically, suggesting someone who is deeply engrossed in books but perhaps disconnected from practical life. Notice how the man precariously stands atop a ladder without handrails, reading a book with one hand, holding another book in his right hand, a third under his arm, and a fourth between his knees. A beam of sunlight illuminates his reading area, symbolising enlightenment. In the top left corner, we see the library section labeled "Metaphysics."

The man in Spitzweg's painting exemplifies a genuine quest for answers, diligently consulting books to satisfy his inquiries. In contrast, those who questioned Jesus in today's Gospel were not seeking truth or trying to come closer to God. Instead, their questions were intended to challenge and entrap Jesus, with the questioners rejecting his answers even before they were given. The questions were insincere, reflecting hearts already closed to the truth.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-13-54-58-2024/