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The Last Supper,
Painted by Juan de Juanes 1523 – 1579,
Painted circa 1567,
Oil on canvas
© Prado Museum, Madrid |
While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.
When he had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, And, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.’
Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’ |
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| | Reflection on the Painting
In our scene of the Last Supper by Spanish painter Juan de Juanes, we see the central figure of Christ, serene and triumphant at the moment of consecrating the Sacred Host. All the disciples (named in the halos above them), are looking at the Sacred Host and not at Christ Himself. Thereby the artist accentuates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which was instituted during that very meal. Christ is looking straight at the viewer, telling us that ‘this is what it’s all about’! But today’s reading is more about Judas, the one who will betray Christ. In our painting he is sitting to the very right in a green and yellow (colour of envy) cloak. His name is carved on the stool. He is holding a money pouch. His bodily movement expresses that he is about to leave the meal… Judas is the only one in the painting without a halo. Even both knives on the table point towards him, the traitor.
The drama of the Passion is well underway now! Judas and also Peter are both about to let Jesus down. As Jesus knows what goes on in our hearts, He knew what was about to unfold. Whilst we know what Judas will do to Christ and ultimately to himself, it is the figure of Peter who is fascinating. Peter (directly to the right of Jesus in our painting) whom Christ chose as His rock to build His church upon, hits one of his lowest points in this very reading. His sureness of following Jesus was challenged by Jesus himself. Peter too would betray Jesus. But after he disowned Christ, he faced his own appalling guilt, wept bitterly and prayed for forgiveness… his shortcomings were not the end of his mission, but the very beginning!
by Patrick van der Vorst
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