Primroses and Bird's Nest,
Painted by William Henry Hunt (1790-1864),
Painted in the 1840's,
Watercolour on paper
© Tate Britain, London
Primroses and Bird's Nest,
Painted by William Henry Hunt (1790-1864),
Painted in the 1840's,
Watercolour on paper
© Tate Britain, London
The birds of the Air have Nests
Luke 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'
Another to whom he said, 'Follow me', replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.' But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.'
Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.' Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'
Reflection on the Watercolour on Paper
As Jesus walked his way through Israel, a whole company of people followed Him, not only the twelve Apostles. From time to time various people would come to Jesus asking if they could follow Him. Jesus' reply seems harsh at first: 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head'. He is telling us that following him means putting up with the hardships and self-denial that come on His path. We can't say: When my husband gets better, then I will follow you; or when my son graduates, then I will follow Jesus. Following Jesus is about the here and now. Today is the day.
The watercolour on paper we are looking at today by William Hunt of a bird's nest is technically one of the best watercolours there is. The brilliant, naturalistic colour and illusionistic precision resulted largely from Hunt's innovative technical virtuosity, in particular his exploration of layering different paints, gums, gouaches all on top of each other, scraping away areas and then adding new layers. It earned the artist the nickname of 'Bird's Nest' Hunt.
A bird in a nest may be secure, but that is not why God gave it wings…
Share this Gospel Reading
Did you like this Gospel reading and art reflection?
Join in the discussion about this artwork & Gospel reading
Readings related to Luke 9:57-62
Join our community
In addition to receiving our Daily Gospel Reading and Art Reflection, signing up for a free membership allows you to:
- Comment and interact with fellow members
- Save your favorite readings & artworks
- Access member’s only content
