Gospel in Art: Jesus chooses his twelve apostles

The Last Supper, by Philippe de Champaigne 1678 © Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Ralph Harman Booth, 26.103.

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 10 September 2024
Luke 6:12-19

Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them 'apostles': Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.

Reflection on the painting

Luke, more than the other Gospel writers, highlights Jesus as a person of prayer. In today's Gospel reading, Jesus spends the entire night in prayer before choosing twelve from among his disciples the next morning. His decision to select this crucial group was made through prayerful discernment. Yet the leader of this group would later deny him three times, and one would betray him to his enemies so he could be put to death. Jesus' prayer did not guarantee perfect outcomes. Our own prayer can't guarantee the perfect results either.

The act of praying doesn't ensure that everything will go smoothly. However, prayer strengthens our communion with God and, when things don't go as we had hoped, we can face these challenges with the resilience that comes from our friendship with God. Jesus was abandoned by those he had chosen, denied by one and betrayed by another, causing him deep sorrow. Yet, through his prayerful relationship with God, he emerged from that dark experience into a new life, which he now offers to all who turn to him in faith.

Our painting by Philippe de Champaigne is a fascinating depiction of the Last Supper. Like many such depictions, the painting features Jesus at the centre of the table, surrounded by his apostles. The scene captures the moment when Jesus is instituting the Eucharist and saying the prayers over the gifts. The colour palette is typically subdued, with earthy tones and soft highlights, reflecting the solemnity of the event. The scene is set almost like a theatrical stage. The foreground features sacred vessels and jugs, referring to some of the events in Christ's life (the large wine jar in the bottom right could refer to the Wedding at Cana, or the small ointment jar to Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet). The boy on the left is taking away a brass bucket filled with dirty plates. A simple boy is a direct witness to the most seismic event in all of human history. This is how the artist is conveying how Jesus truly came for everyone!

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-6-12-19-2024/