A special painting of Jesus

[Hans Deventer]

This morning, we received a Christian magazine in the mail. Every now and then they send it to try and make us subscribe to it, but I am not so wild about it. It is quite charismatic.

But one picture struck me. There was a testimony of a lady in the magazine, and she was pictured in her home, standing in front of a painting. Below is the painting. (Not the best quality, but it is a picture of a picture in a magazine).

It hit me. This is a painting of Jesus I could have on my wall. Why?

First, it shows Him who He is: a Jew, a Jewish Messiah. He is not taken out of the context He lived in, He is very much a Jew among Jews.

Second, He shows love. I had to think of Romans 10:2 where Paul writes about his fellow Jews: "For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." Still, God loves his people, among whom He actually dwelt!

So likewise, He loves me, though my knowledge and understanding may not be so perfect either, and I too deny Him at times in my behaviour.

Third, the picture is at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The holiest of places for a believing Jew. Holy because it is all that is left of the temple of God in Jerusalem. And the place where prayers are lifted up, where milennia of suffering are remembered. The beauty for me is that He actually does meet them there.

So it is rather like a promise, that, as mistaken or darkened in my understanding as I may be, He will meet me when I look for God, perhaps in ways I would never have expected. This orthodox Jew certainly would not have expected this meeting.

In the painting, Jesus holds something in His hand. I can't see what it is. Luke writes about a man who expected "the consolation of Israel". Perhaps it has something to do with that.

All in all, this is a very moving painting to me.

[Cindi Hammons]

Hans,

He appears to be holding a Mezuzzah in his left hand. These are placed on the doorway framing of an observant Jewish home. "The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, a name of G-d is written. The scroll is then rolled up placed in the case, so that the first letter of the Name (the letter Shin) is visible (or, more commonly, the letter Shin is written on the outside of the case)." (Jewish 101 website)

Cindi H.

[Hans Deventer]

Hans,

He appears to be holding a Mezuzzah in his left hand.

Yes, I thought of that but the picture wasn't clear enough for my eyes to see.

[Doug Kitchen]

Yes, I thought of that but the picture wasn't clear enough for my eyes to see.

I like the picture too. I wish you had posted it a couple of weeks ago while I was teaching the Quest in Sunday School. ;)

One week the memory verse for the quest was the Shema as Jesus quoted it in Mark. He used it to answer the greatest commandment question. As I did a search for the shema on the web I found the Judaism 101 site and a few others (http://www.aish.com/literacy/mitzvahs/Shema_Yisrael.asp). It is amazing how those few verses are central to Judaism. It is supposed to be the last testimony of a Jew before they die. The mazuzza (I think that is container that goes on the doorpost) or phylactery(I think that is the right term) is to be worn on the forehead and bound to the arms (symbolizing all your mind, strength). They are to say it when they rise and before they sleep, as they walk and discuss it with their children.

So I think as the picture points out, Jesus was affirming the centrality of this testimony. I believe that Jesus probably followed the instructions in Deutoronomy every day. I asked the class to post a card with the verses from Mark somewhere where they would read it twice a day. I put mine on the mirror where I brush my teeth. At least a couple of others tried it. A few times as I would say it I would add "God is love". I notice that my mind behaves a little differently when I remember to quote those verses.

Doug K.