Gospel in Art: They brought Jesus to the brow of the hill

The Little Street, by Johannes Vermeer, 1658 © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 24 March 2025
Luke 4:24-30

When Jesus came to Nazareth, he said to the people in the synagogue: 'Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his home town. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.' When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up, and drove him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.

Reflection on the painting

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus challenges the narrow view of God held by the people of Nazareth, his hometown. Just as they believed that Jesus belonged to them, they also assumed that God belonged exclusively to the people of Israel. However, when Jesus attempts to broaden their understanding by citing Old Testament scripture-where God appears to favour pagans over the Jewish people-their reaction is one of outrage. So incensed are they by his words that they respond with violence, even attempting to throw him off a cliff.

Jesus' rejection in Nazareth foreshadows an even more brutal rejection in Jerusalem, which we will soon encounter at the culmination of Lent.

The God of Jesus is more compassionate, more generous, more expansive, more inclusive, and more loving than they (or we) could ever imagine. It is a beautiful vision of how God is fundamentally 'good news' for all who are willing to receive it, regardless of culture, race, or background.

Our painting by Vermeer depicts a quiet, narrow street in Delft, Holland. The street is already confined, yet the alleyway where the woman stands is even narrower. Jesus calls us to expand our perspectives, moving beyond the limitations of what we can see and understand. Standing in a narrow alleyway offers only a restricted view of the world. Isn't it true that often we do have a narrow view of things, like standing in a narrow street, failing to see the broader picture?

This painting is unusual within Vermeer's oeuvre and remarkable for its time, as it simply portrays a row of ordinary houses. The plain façades, rendered with meticulous attention to detail, bear the marks of history; cracks in the masonry, peeling paint on the shutters, and water stains on the whitewashed lower walls. These are houses we might otherwise overlook, yet Vermeer's discerning eye elevates them to something worthy of contemplation. His vision reminds us that, just as there is beauty in the overlooked details of a street, so too is there a greater divine reality beyond the limits of our own narrow perspectives.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-4-24-30-2025/ (with audio)