Her topic was "We had Hoped..." This was from the story of when Jesus joined Cleopas and an other disciple as they returned to Emmaus from Jerusalem.
Jennifer told us that the site of Emmaus is contested. There are four roads that are put forward as contenders. One is strewn with land mines.
The pictures are by Caravaggio.
The first from 1601 is in the National gallery. The second painted in 1606. It is described as less theatrical than the 1601 painting. The Third painting shows St Anne with Mary and Jesus. Jesus is treading, bare foot, on the serpents head. The 'innkeepers wife' in the 1606 painting is very similar to St Anne. The painting is from roughly the same date. It was, and remains controversial. The painting is hung in the Galleria Borghese in Roma. Mary is in red. Jesus is naked, and uncircumcised. Mary and Jesus are bare foot, and tread on the serpent together.
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| Supper at Emmaus - National Gallery |
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| Supper at Emmaus, Pinacoteca di Brera |
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| Madonna and Child with St. Anne (Dei Palafrenieri) |
Jennifer Strawbridge discussed the disappointment felt by the disciples, saying to Jesus, "we had hoped that he was the one to save our people." She noted that often there are times when we have regrets. "I has hoped I would get this job, or I hoped my relation would live, or that 'God' would intervene." Jennifer noted that of course the hopes were realised in this story, but differently to the way expected. And that is true for us too. She noted that the recognition came when Jesus did something that was characteristic, A behaviour, dividing out the bread, and saying the Jewish prayer of blessing. This is when the first two pictures come alive. The first dramatically, the second more subtly.
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