If we had lived when Jesus lived…
Would we have paid any attention to him?
I sometimes wonder. What if we lived back then with the equivalent level of affluence and comfort that many of us have today in the United States? What if we, like the Romans, who were well groomed, civilized - accustomed to finery and leisure - not that those times were so luxurious - lived as contemporaries with Christ? Or what if we were the friends of Herod, finely attired, living rather well - equivalent to how many of us live today? I suppose this is similar to imagining if Jesus lived amongst us as a contemporary Middle Eastern man today- the question is, would we like him, would we be attracted to him?
We often see images of Jesus with nearly blonde hair, neatly coiffured. Although he is depicted in Middle Eastern dress, he is normally shown as an appealing and good looking man, an image very palatable to Western tastes. As Catholics, we know he is truly present, living with us in the Blessed Sacrament, and our image of him is influenced by the art we have been accustomed to, hence we may imagine him thus. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, to be sure. Of course human talent could never reproduce his glorious beauty, therefore we depict him in the best way we can, based upon early icons and sacred miraculous images.
Yet how would we have reacted to him in his humanity, when he walked the earth amongst men? Though Isaiah writes of the Suffering Servant, he does describe Jesus as we might have experienced him, “There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity. One of those from whom men hide their faces…” (Is. 53)
I often think about that.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Holy Face of Jesus, look upon us and have mercy. “And Jesus, looking on him, loved him” (Mk 10:21)
August 31st, 2007 at 7:01 am
I think about this a lot, too, Terry. I like to imagine Jesus not as a blonde hair/blue-eyed European (the Christ of pious Victorian holy cards), but as a scraggly, dark-haired, dark-eyed man w/maybe an olive complexion. Probably dirty. But I’m sure He was trim & lean, which is probably the only appealing thing about how He looked. I like to contemplate the face of Christ via the Shroud of Turin. I have a copy of that image facing me on my desk at work, so I get to look at Him all day. I doubt I would’ve noticed Him had I lived in His time, and that sticks in my head when I find myself being dismissive - for whatever reason - of those around me.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:26 am
Jeron, last sentence - good point!
August 31st, 2007 at 12:43 pm
I often think about that, too. My parents had a picture of Jesus, Sallman’s “Head of Christ”. And that is what comes to mind when I picture Him. But in reality He probably didn’t look anything like that. Of course if and when we finally get to see Jesus, it will be His glorified body; and earthly appearances won’t matter any more.
And of course you are right, Jeron; we need to be careful not to be dismissive of anyone.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Terry, It was whilst looking for something else on a Cardinal Newman webite today that I came upon this, and having already read your post I thought I would return to share it with you and your readers.
I see the figure of a man, whether young or old I cannot tell. He may be fifty or he may be thirty. Sometimes He looks one, sometimes the other. There is something inexpressible about His face which I cannot solve. Perhaps, as He bears all burdens, He bears that of old age too. But so it is; His face is at once most venerable, yet most childlike, most calm, most sweet, most modest, beaming with sanctity and with loving kindness. His eyes rivet me and move my heart. His breath is all fragrant, and transports me out of myself. Oh, I will look upon that face forever, and will not cease.
August 31st, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I don’t have a picture in my head of what Jesus looks like. I know what he probably would have looked like from the time in history, his ancestory, his geographical placement, but when I talk to him, when I feel him near, when I receive him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, I don’t picture him. Perhaps I don’t need to, at least not until the time he comes to take me home and then I will be like a child, no doubt, perhaps like the one in Peter Pan, the small ‘lost boy’ who has to feel Peter’s face because he doesn’t immediately recognise him when he returns to Neverland so many years later…and after searching his face for a while the lost boy suddenly *sees* Peter and says ‘Oh! THERE you are!’ and beams the hugest of smiles.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:52 pm
ukok - That is lovely! I like that!
I suppose I don’t really picture him either. I will use an image for mediatation sometimes, or pray before a statue, but when I close my eyes, I don’t really focus on an image.
I think we are indeed more blessed not to see.
I love your sentiment though - of Peter Pan - that is lovely.