Seeker

People struggling with poverty and debt might well point accusing fingers at people like Matthew the tax collector.  Tax collectors in 1st Century Palestine had ample opportunity to profit by cheating and charging extortionate commission. In this 17th century painting of the Calling of St Matthew by Hendrick ter Brugghen accusing fingers seem absent, although fingers do point from 5 different hands. Matthew's left hand points to his accounts. His right hand points towards himself. The young man at Matthew's  left points to a pile of money.  The seated older man points to another pile of money. On the left is Jesus, partly in shadow, pointing directly to Matthew as he and Matthew make eye contact. Matthew is the only person in the picture looking at Jesus. There seems to be a struggle going on - a tension between the focus on money and accounts and a conflicting priority emerging within Matthew as a result of his encounter with Jesus. It's a pivot...

P eople struggling with poverty and debt might well point accusing fingers at people like Matthew the tax collector.  Tax collectors in 1st Century Palestine had ample opportunity to profit by cheating and charging extortionate commission . In this  17th century painting of the Calling of St Matthew by Hendrick ter Brugghen accusing fingers seem absent, although there fingers do point from 5 different hands. Matthew's left hand points to his accounts. His right hand points towards himself. The young man at his left points to a pile of money. The seated older man points to another pile of money. On the left is Jesus, partly in shadow pointing directly to Matthew as he and Matthew make eye contact. Matthew is the only person in the picture looking at Jesus. There seems to be a struggle going on - a tension between the focus on money and accounts and a conflicting priority emerging within Matthew as a result of his encounter with Jesus. It's a pivotal decision moment - to ca...