Emil Nolde (1867-1956), The Last Supper. 1909. National Gallery of Denmark.
When it was evening, he came with the
twelve. And when they had taken their
places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will
betray me, one who is eating with me."
They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another,
"Surely, not I?" He said to
them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into
the bowl with me. For the
Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of
Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been
born." While they were eating, he
took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and
said, "Take; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all
of them drank from it. He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many. Truly I tell you, I will never
again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Mark 14:17 - 25
Today, we
lean into the events of the upcoming Maundy Thursday by viewing a modern
version of The Last Supper. Emil Nolde is considered to be a German
Expressionist. This group of artists rejected Realism, coming to the conclusion
that rendering an exact imitation of nature does not create a work of art. In
his auto-biography, Nolde states that "a work of art becomes a work of art
when one re-evaluates the values of nature and adds one's own spirituality."
Nolde's best known works can be
recognized by the compelling use of strange, brilliant colors and roughly
textured brushstrokes, executed in an intentionally simplistic manner.
In this painting,
the disciples are crowded around Jesus and the composition is deliberately
cropped to evoke a cramped effect. The focal point is Christ, who seems to glow
from an inner light, his face transfigured, withdrawn. His disciples are
mesmerized. The blood reds and the violently constructed faces are shocking. Nolde's
vision is so different from the traditional depiction of this scene. His rendering brings a bold new perspective to this scene.
Reflection:
Imagine if you had been one of the
disciples in this scene. The tension must have been palpable. Jesus' offering
of the bread as his body and then the wine as his own blood must have been
intense. Now count how many disciples are crowded around. All twelve. One of
them appears to be turning away. Jesus has stated that one of this group will
betray him. Think about that: the one who will betray Him was invited to
partake of the meal.
Every Sunday at Kairos, you have the
opportunity to participate in Communion. Do you treat it as a snack? Or do you
acknowledge your part as a betrayer? Do you come hungry for grace?
We have the advantage over the
disciples because we know what will happen on Friday and what will happen on
Sunday. Do you come to the Table ready, not just to accept God's grace, but to
fully participate in God's grace? To be transformed?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to not react like Judas. Let
me not run out into the darkness, alone with my sin. Give me the faith, give me
the strength to answer your call to new life with Christ. Amen.
Written by Nancy Langham
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