Gospel in Art: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart

Poor Woman of the Village, by Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), Oil on canvas © Sotheby's Paris, 24 March 2022, lot 115

Gospel of 23 August 2024
Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus said, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.'

Reflection on the painting

At the time of Jesus, there were believed to be 613 commandments in Jewish Law. Although, in theory, all commandments were to be observed with equal diligence, in practice, some were recognised as more important than others. In today's Gospel reading, the Pharisees ask Jesus, "Which is the greatest commandment of the Law?" Their intention was to test him, hoping he would say something they could use against him. However, Jesus' response was impeccable. He didn't just identify the greatest commandment; he also specified what he considered the second greatest. Jesus uniquely combined two commandments in a way that was not commonly done before. He stated that the essence of all 613 commandments is the commandment to love.

Firstly, our love must be directed towards God, who is to be loved with all our heart, soul, and mind. Only God is worthy of such comprehensive love. Secondly, Jesus emphasised that love for God is inseparable from love for our neighbour, who should be loved as we love ourselves. Our love for others and ourselves should reflect God's love. In loving God with all our being, we are drawn into God's love for everyone.

Thus, our journey towards God in love naturally extends towards others. One of the main ways to love our neighbour is to care for the poor, as it embodies the core principles of compassion, empathy, and social justice. In the 19th century, painters began to focus on depicting the poor as a means of highlighting their plight and bringing social issues to the forefront of public consciousness. This shift was influenced by the broader social, political, and economic changes of the time, including the Industrial Revolution, which led to significant disparities in wealth and living conditions. Artists like Jean-François Millet, Gustave Courbet, and Vincent van Gogh used their works to portray the harsh realities of poverty and the dignity of the poor.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-22-34-40-2024/