The Supper at Emmaus
by Martin Sewell, Archbishop Cranmer:
Today’s Gospel reading gives me the opportunity to share with you one of my favourite paintings, that of The Supper at Emmaus, by the Italian Renaissance genius Caravaggio.
It hangs in London’s National Gallery and the full power of its presence is available to any who read this, and I do urge you to pay a visit sometime. It is not, of course, derived from Scripture, and yet just as St Luke took another’s story, organised the narrative and presented it with intelligence, insight and perspective, so does this deeply flawed painter. Sinner though he plainly was, there is truth here, borne of understanding and reflection.
Inevitably, someone else depicting this story might do so in a different form, though the essence of it must relate closely to Luke if it is to be a recognisable re-presentation of the theme.
This is not an art appreciation piece, though I shall indulge myself with a paragraph extolling the radical conception, the virtuoso technique, and the extraordinary story telling. Let me just flag up for you the hole in the sleeve of the figure gripping the arms of a beautiful chair, the facial expressions, the light and shadow, and the basket of fruit painted in 3D, which is almost tipping off the table as it breaks the fourth wall and intrudes into our lives. This is a painting insisting on reality, immediacy and relevance. It was revolutionary.
So, of course, is Luke’s Gospel. So should be our commentary upon the story. First, let me reference another excellent commentary upon this passage by my General Synod colleague the Rev’d Dr Ian Paul, which is well worth watching. My thoughts on the passage are complementary to his and, taking a step back, are intended to address those who are not yet closely engaged with the texts and its references forward and backwards in the Bible.
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