La Refuse (the Refusing),
Painted by Daniel Hernandez (1856-1932),
Painted in 1876,
Oil on canvas
© Wikimedia
La Refuse (the Refusing),
Painted by Daniel Hernandez (1856-1932),
Painted in 1876,
Oil on canvas
© Wikimedia
This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him.
Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug out a trough for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce from the vineyard. But they seized the man, thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another servant to them; him they beat about the head and treated shamefully. And he sent another and him they killed; then a number of others, and they thrashed some and killed the rest. He had still someone left: his beloved son. He sent him to them last of all. “They will respect my son” he said. But those tenants said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and make an end of the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this text of scripture:
It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?
And they would have liked to arrest him, because they realised that the parable was aimed at them, but they were afraid of the crowds. So they left him alone and went away.
Reflection on the painting
The parable that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel reading is a story about rejection. The vineyard owner had invested a great deal in his vineyard. When he sent out his servants to collect his legitimate share of the produce, they simply beat up the servants and even killed some of them. Then they did the unthinkable: when the vineyard owner sent his own son to collect the produce, they killed him too.
The parables of Jesus are always about more than they seem. Jesus himself is the key to the parable. He is really the story of the rejection of God’s messengers, the prophets, culminating in the rejection of God’s Son by the religious leaders. Yet, Jesus’ comment on the story shows that rejection, even the most aggressive and violent rejection, never has the last word. Quoting from one of the psalms, Jesus says that the stone rejected by the builders became the keystone. God brought good out of the experience of rejection. Although his Son was rejected and killed, God raised him to new life and he became the very keystone, the foundation, of a new community, the church.
Our painting is by Peruvian born artist Daniel Hernandez, who was active in Paris in the late 19th century. It depicts a painter being rejected by a gallerist. He had taken his painting to show to the gallery holder, in order to try and sell it. He did not succeed, and was rejected by his own peers. We can’t see what he painted, as we can only see the stretcher, the back of the canvas which he is carrying. The gallery holder is peering from behind the shop’s wall, almost looking in glee at the saddened artist. Rejection is one the most common emotional wounds we sustain in daily life. We simply ‘want to belong’. And today Jesus promises that we all belong to his church however much wounded or rejected we have been in life.
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I wonder why some people (like the man in the painting that Patrick pointed out) feel a certain kind of glee in rejecting others? It seems cruel. I can identify with the man who was rejected. I’m learning that rejection doesn’t always have to be a negative thing. I can use it as motivation to try harder.
Ooh…that hurt – a very sad image and even more so today’s gospel. Rejection and the crushed feelings are hard to take. especially for Our Lord with so much love in his heart.
Rejection can be imagined. It can also be fuelled by too big an ego. Why wasn’t I asked to so and so’s wedding? Well maybe there wasn’t room for a lot of people, maybe the bride’s parents only gave so many spaces to the groom’s family. Maybe your invitation really did get lost in the post! It’s not all about you!
Yes, people can be very shallow, and ego is an enemy for sure, but this isn’t the kind of rejection Jesus is speaking about here.
A moving painting and great to have an ‘unknown’ no longer rejected by us at least!
In the reading I am struck by Mark’s comment: ‘This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?’
Yes, Saint Mark, it is indeed wonderful to see the Lord’s doings, especially these wonderful works of art every morning. Please pray for us who feel the wound of rejection everyday in our own lives.’
I look forward to reading your comments daily. Thank you.
SFG, your comments are always very insightful. Many times they help me see the paintings and the scriptures in a new and different way. Thank you.
I was born in Lima Peru and I never heard of this artist until today. Although educated at San Silvestre I cannot remember being taught about him. Daniel, although born in Huancavelica, was the son of a middle class family hence for being sponsored by the Pardos. Daniel was the Founder and Director of The National School of Fine Arts in Lima. If you know Spanish you can google and read about him in El Peruano. Being rejected is terrible which I have experienced it not long ago but one can unite that rejection to Jesus’s rejection and suffering which can be very redemptive.
It’s an excellent painting – well executed and resonating with the subject matter is instant! Thank you Bashia. I will look him up. Every blessing to you.
I did look him up – he worked in Rome and Paris and obviously enjoyed painting romantic ladies and nothing like today’s picture, offered by Patrick, which is wonderful.
Such a sad picture! But your commentary is very comforting. Thank you.
As Mother Teresa said, “In the West there is a loneliness, which I call the leprosy of the West. In many ways, it is worse than our poor in Calcutta.” We all have a deep need to belong.
Our parish hosts Alpha Courses where the path we help participants along is BELONG BELIEVE BEHAVE. It all starts with giving unchurched participants an experience of belonging, no matter what baggage they bring. This happens around a shared meal. Once they feel accepted, their hearts open up to believing the Good News. Finally, they start behaving like believers. I’ve watched it happen time and again. It isn’t rocket science. It all starts with offering authentic belonging.
As you say Patrick, Jesus promises that we all belong to his church however much wounded or rejected we have been in life.
Good points Mike. I have taken it upon myself to hand out hymn and Mass books to people coming into church. I try and smile and welcome people, say “Good Morning”, and even try and remember names which I have never been good at. I hope it is beneficial….Maybe some want to slip in quietly and feel ambushed. I don’t know. Some lonely people try and engage you in lengthy chat which you have to break off as you greet others. It’s quite a tricky path to negotiate but I hope it to be of some use.
I was discussing how misused our church porch is the other day, and how people congregrate in there to chat before Mass. It isn’t welcoming at all, as people are so busy chatting they ignore people coming in and even get in their way. I don’t know how we suggest to these, mostly old men, that they should be more welcoming to visitors and parishioners. So Charles, your simple act is appreciated by me at least! Maybe moving some furniture around and giving it some love and attention will restore the dignity of our ‘way in.’
Good on you.
Good for you Charles. Simple acts of kindness go a long way.
I helped run the Alpha course years ago- in my parish good to read it is still going.