Jerry Earl Johnston: 2 Paintings, 2 Poles in the Life of Jesus

DESERT NEWS
By Jerry Earl Johnston

"Christ and the Rich Young Ruler" by Heinrich Hofmann, on loan to the BYU Museum of Art for its Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz exhibit from the Riverside Church in New York City.

UTAH---It took us awhile, but my wife and I finally made it to the BYU Museum of Art for the Sacred Gifts exhibit. It’s where painters Carl Bloch, Franz Schwartz and Heinrich Hofmann offer glimpses into the life of Jesus. I’m the family philosopher. And while soaking up the Sacred Gifts, I found myself bobbing back and forth between two Hofmann paintings: “Jesus in the Temple” and “Christ and the Rich Young Ruler.” I’d look at one, then the other. Two sides of the same Savior. Both need a savior. We should remember to take him with us as we go back into the world of beggars, lepers and rich, young rulers seeking to free themselves from their chains. [link]