JESUS AND JUDAS

                                    A story is told about a famous painter who wanted to paint his masterpiece, ‘The Last Supper of Lord Jesus.’ He went in search of suitable models with the traits of the characters present during the Last Supper of Jesus – Jesus and His twelve disciples. He identified an innocent-looking young member of the cathedral choir as model to represent the features of kindness, compassion, goodness, innocence and tenderness of Lord Jesus. He sat as the model while the painter painted the figure of Jesus observing his graceful figure and facial expression. Later he completed the figures of the eleven apostles of Jesus except Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed his loving master for thirty silver coins and later hanged himself to death in despair. Years went by, but the painter was still in search of a suitable model for Judas Iscariot.

                                  One day he found a hardened criminal with a horrible face in a prison. His face displayed despair, greed, wickedness and sinfulness. By a special sanction, the prisoner was used as the model for painting the figure of Judas Iscariot. While the painting was in progress, the model showed great tension and uneasiness. When asked, he cried and confessed that a few years back he had posed as a model for the same painting - as the model for Jesus. Later, the miserable man left Jesus and the Church and turned to crime and sin, reaching a lamentable state of moral degeneration. His love changed to hatred, hope to despair and light to darkness!

                                 The legend identifies the painter as Leonardo da Vinci and the model is named Pietri Bandinelli though no historical evidence is available for the incident. But it is an excellent allegory revealing the spiritual degeneration in a person who rejects virtuous life and turns to sinful ways. His fall is reflected even in his appearance, attitudes and attributes.

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Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India.

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