The Day Jesus Messed Up His Nice-Guy Image
Picture: Holman Hunt’s ‘The Light of the World’ photographed by Simon Cozens, cc by nc 2.0
I have the great fortune of living in Oxford. Tolkien wrote his books not far from where I live. Shakespeare used to lodge down the road. And with a short walk to Oxford University’s Keble College, I can see one of the world’s most famous paintings of Jesus—Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World. It’s a touching painting, but the picture of Jesus it presents gets quite messed up each Easter. That was what I shared on BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought segment this week—the day Jesus messed up his nice-guy image.
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The Soother of Souls Raises a Ruckus
In The Light of the World Holman Hunt depicts Jesus in a dark forest wearing a white robe and holding a lantern. He knocks gently on a door that has no outside handle. The door is our heart. Jesus is waiting for us to invite him in.
It’s a powerful painting, if not a little… placid. Blond beard, flowing hair, the soft light of the lantern giving his serene face a warm glow—this is the Jesus you find on many religious websites and get-well cards: a meek and mild soother of souls who wanders the hills with a lamb in his arms. It’s a nice image, but an image Holy Week messes up.
Not Just Mister Nice Guy
Picture: Christ Confronts the Money Changers. Photographed by Fr Lawrence Lew (cc by-nc-nd 2.0)
Holy Week begins with Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. On Holy Monday he then makes an infamous visit to the Temple. He walks into its outer court and finds merchants doing a roaring trade in religious goods. Something in him snaps. He flips over the moneychanger’s tables, flinging coins in the air. He makes a whip out of rope and starts driving out the animals on sale for sacrifice. Imagine cattle rushing about and doves flying from cages; swirls of dust, bleating sheep, squealing children scrambling for those flying coins. ‘Meek and mild’ Jesus is being neither meek nor mild. The soother of souls is raising a ruckus.
The merchants are making a mint from weary pilgrims. The moneychangers are using inflated rates. But it’s something else that makes Jesus most angry: the outer court is the only place in the Temple where women and foreigners can worship. “This should be a place of prayer for everyone,” he yells, “but you’ve made it a den of robbers!” All that noise, smell and animals is stopping people finding God.
The trouble-making Jesus of Holy Week is a far cry from the soft-lit face in Holman Hunt’s painting. But maybe there’s a link between the two. Holman Hunt has set his painting at dusk, suggesting the hand that knocks on that door has been patiently knocking all day. And the hand wielding that whip in the Temple so passionately will soon be pierced, bleeding and stretched out wide.
For me, this starts to give us a more complete image of Jesus: One who patiently persists, passionately removes barriers, and personally suffers—One who will do whatever it takes to bring us into a relationship with God.
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Arul John
Thanks for sharing this Sheridan! I didn’t see this connection so clearly until now. It will definitely be a wonderful nugget to dwell on during this Holy Week! Blessings to you and your loved ones during this time.
Sheridan Voysey
And to you, Arul.
Arul John
Many thanks Sheridan!
Lawrence
Great reminder of the Son of Man who breaks all protocol. The Saviour with the whip at public place of worship/ prayer turns up at door without outer handle gently knocking for entry. What a thought! Just thinking, especially for my African context: Christianity turns into churchianity: big flashy cozy cars fills up parking lot of churches; ushers out looking for so called stray characters who must not be allowed near the church because of poor dressing… they are labelled as thieves who are there to rob cars and rob ladies of their purses. What would Jesus do in this case? Thanks for your podcast which has kick -started this train of thoughts in my unruly mind. God bless you and see you after Easter.
Sheridan Voysey
Thanks so much, Lawrence. Yep, this particular scene in the Easter story kick-starts all sorts of things when given time in our imagination.
Mari Howard
Thanks for pointing out about this painting – it was also done with a woman as the model, and the robe is silk. The robe was apparently wrongly made into a suit and unpicked so as to be a robe, not a coat! Where do I know this from? A book written by Holman Hunt’s granddaughter, Diana. Her granny, (known as Grand) told her this when she was a child! The Pre-Raphaelites had a strange variety fo Christianity, and sadly that has wandered into so many minds, and created (or helped to create) the image of Jesus ‘meek and mild’, AngloSaxon, and, well, hardly the real Palestinian person he was/is. We have to somehow let it out what Jesus is really like! Strong, compassionate, insightful, well versed in the scriptures, and highly intelligent and insightful. No way is Jesus meek and mild: he is capable of great love, and of overcoming enormous odds. Praise be!
Sheridan Voysey
I didn’t know that! Thanks so much for adding this, Mari. Fascinating.