Favorite Work of Art
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Jessica Breazeale
When you think of art, what comes to mind?
Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Architecture, Music….
When thinking of the best art, I think of the Mona Lisa or anything by Leonardo Da Vinci. I am not credentialed to teach art by any means. I just really appreciate it.
What comes to mind when God thinks of his best art?
Aristotle’s quote in his work called Poetics in 4th century BC (the earliest surviving work of Greek dramatic theory and the first to focus on the poetic art). He said, “The aims of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
Aristotle was born way before Jesus (like 335 years before). He saw art this way…as something to marvel at, not by how beautiful or interesting it was on the outside, but by the significance inside. This is important because he came from a Greek background where they believed in many gods – and remember, before Jesus, people had a hard time connecting with God, understanding God, assigning meaning to their lives. So even before Jesus came to show us the way, Aristotle glimpsed what God feels… that art is not a pretty thing to look at, but the true masterpiece is what’s significant on the inside.
What is the point? Well, let’s look at some art, shall we
I bet we learn something incredible!
This graffiti was discovered in Rome, Italy
in 1857. It was scratched into the plaster on a wall (now removed), but dated between 50-250 AD. Take a look…
This may be the earliest surviving image of the crucifixion. It’s said to be a mocking depiction of the Christian act of worship. The inscription says “Alexamenos Grafitto”, which means “Alexamenos is worshipping his God.”
Notice the crucifixion - but the head is a donkey. This sarcastic graffiti shows Romans mocking Jesus. A common phrase among pagans was that Christians “worshipped a donkey”. This graffiti, to many, is considered a work of art…certainly not because of it’s beautiful on the outside but rather because it holds a heavy, weighty inward significance of how people felt about the messiah - and the crucifixion. To me, it’s not pretty…not even close. But it’s a story that will be told throughout the ages…a true work of art. It tells a story that must continue to be shared.
Let’s look at one more work of art, the famous work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted between 1508 and 1512. “The Creation of Adam” illustrates creation from the Book of Genesis. Michelangelo’s work was influenced by his time period and trends, but he chose to depict this moment in such a unique way.
Despite the scriptures' account of the creation of Adam, Michelangelo chose to tell the story of the beginning of life with a single touch by his creator. Let’s look closely…
When you study this image, what do you see?
a. Do you notice how God is reaching with every effort, with all the angels of heaven, reaching hard to touch Adam?
b. Do you notice how comfortable Adam is, barely moves, looks possibly uninterested, indifferent, not making much of an effort back.
c. Do you see this as a moment of free will?
d. Do you see this as a moment of human consciousness?
While it’s a beautiful scene to look at because it’s painted by a legend, it’s way less about the outward beauty for me. It provokes thought, and I get lost in it…
Do I put forth effort back to God who reaches for me?
Do I have a passive faith that is comfortable?
Do I recognize free will and choose correctly? If I’m formed in His likeness, do I resemble Him?
If He’s a perfect father, do I act indifferent that he formed me because he wanted me?
For me, this is a masterpiece because of its inward significance.
We could look at different pieces of art all day every day and never have
enough time. There are so many wonderful pieces of art.
It’s never been about how you look on the outside; your value is your internal significance. Some of you DON’T feel like a work of art, a masterpiece. Maybe you had someone who made you feel small, unimportant, worthless, dumb, or not talented enough. I hear you. Same.
Go find out what Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5. You’ll thank me!
How can you feel like a masterpiece?
Realize your worth. You are timeless.
You’re priceless – there was a price tag on you, but it’s been paid in full. You’re exquisite, marked by flawless craftsmanship by God, your Father who designed you just how he wanted you. You weren’t mass-produced. You are not an assembly line product. You were handcrafted…one of a kind…deliberately planned, specifically gifted and lovingly positioned on this earth by the master craftsman.
Eph 2:10 AMP: We are his workmanship (his own master work), a work
of art, created in Jesus to do good works. Of all his creations, he calls US his workmanship or best work of art.
I’ll pose the original question again.
Q: What comes to mind when God thinks of his best art?
A: YOU!
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